A Necessary Evil
by TheBatcave
Summary: GohanxCell, later GohanxTrunks. The Earth and the afterlife have merged - and Frieza has managed to gain power and rebuild his army. With Gohan now switching between his two halves, he is finding it harder to control himself, while time is running out for a severely weakened Cell. Will the combined efforts of the Z Fighters and their former enemies be enough? Very dark fic.
1. Scars

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Hello all! This is the third installment, the first being 'My One True Hell' and the second being 'Worlds Collide' and its just getting bigger and bigger... and a lot darker if possible.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT**

 **Warning: This story contains yaoi, bad language, abuse, violence and references to self harm and rape.**

 **CHAPTER 1: SCARS**

 _Sixteen days..._

Gohan even felt himself smile at the thought; sixteen days - just over two weeks since he last harmed himself.

He was in his bedroom at his old family home, which was rotting away and gathering dust in the mountains. He was there picking up a few sentimental things for his mother, a message he'd received through his father as she still hadn't said a single word to him after what he did. What he was _still_ doing despite that.

His room was exactly as he left it all those weeks ago, a mess. His bed was unmade, his books were thrown everywhere, there was even the odd blood stain from his various beatings at the hands of a certain android. As soon as Cell came into his head, so did those five months where he was held captive by him, and then he wondered why, after all those vicious assaults, not to mention one in particular, did he now come to think of the android as a... _partner?_ And then he wondered how having so much hate for someone could backfire so severely.

Gohan finally brought himself to put one foot in front of the other, slowly making his way to the cracked mirror. After days of avoiding it, he hesitantly raised his head to take a good look at his reflection. He half expected it to tip him over the edge, but he seemed intrigued by how much he'd changed thanks to all of his training. Sixteen years old. He should almost be a man now; if only he hadn't grown up too quickly already.

The saiyan sighed and raised his wrist, feeling ready to finally face his scars after managing to withstand his own reflection without feeling sick. He slowly removed his right wrist band to reveal his disfigured and mangled skin; he'd cut himself so much they almost looked like burns. The sight of his scars was starting to make him feel uncomfortable.

"Do you really think that's wise?"

Gohan jumped, but sighed again when he saw Cell stood at the door. He quickly put his wrist band back on.

"Stop lurking!" he hissed, not really knowing why he was being so quiet. Maybe the deafening silence of the house was having an affect on him.

"I don't lurk," said Cell, partly to convince himself that he didn't.

Gohan watched as Cell entered the room, observing every corner as if he, too, was reminiscing about when they more or less lived here, though he seemed to be enjoying the memories a lot more. It infuriated Gohan, who began to stare through himself in the mirror. He began feeling angry the more he thought about his captivity, the torture, the way he starved himself just to try and get away. _Why do I love you?_

"Ah, I see that you can finally stand to look at yourself."

Gohan rolled his eyes when he snapped out of his ever darkening thoughts, staring at himself even more. And then his heart sank when he realised something.

"I can't believe I'm still wearing this," he said, shocked that he hadn't noticed.

Piccolo had given it to him years ago, though he'd lengthened it himself as he grew older. He started to pull at it, convinced that he didn't deserve to wear it anymore; it was violated by the things that he'd done. He wasn't that same scared little boy that he used to be. He hardly spoke to his former mentor these days, he didn't train under him, neither could he even say that they were close any longer. And then he felt sad, it was time to let go of that part of his life.

"There's got to be something else in here," he said to himself, ignoring the android who was gazing out of the window.

Gohan frantically searched his closet for another gi, starting to feel defeated when all he could find were his regular 'human' clothes. He stopped for a second, then remembered that he'd made one just before he died, and he'd managed to finish it; he remembered that making it was just another way to keep his hands busy. He found it in one of the drawers. It was blue, a little lighter than the one he had on now. Luckily, he made it a little too big for himself at the time.

Still ignoring Cell, he quickly changed into it, happy that it fit perfectly, loose fitting so that he had room to move properly. He had red wristbands, which he changed rather rapidly to avoid looking at his scars again, a red belt that he tied this time rather than wrapping it around himself, and black and white shoes. Seeing his old gi in a pile on the floor made him feel much better, he'd finally left that part of his life behind.

"Are you done?"

Cell turned around, stopping when he saw Gohan in his new attire, though didn't let on just how much it extenuated his form. In a good way.

"My mom just needs a photo that she keeps in her room."

Gohan already had everything else on his bed, Chi Chi and Goku's wedding album, the wedding dress that belonged to Chi Chi's mother, Goku's power pole... and now he had the photo of him and Goten when they were younger, his brother must have been just a year old when it was taken. Gohan felt that sense of sorrow again when he looked his twelve year old self, he saw that fake smile, the exact one that he still uses on his friends.

"That's everything," he said, quickly shoving everything into his old school bag. Everything except for the photo, he stopped dead and stared at it again. This time, he felt himself welling up.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," he said dismissively, carelessly stuffing it into the bag with the rest of the list.

He slammed his hand on top of the bag to make sure that he couldn't see it anymore. As he was fighting the tears back, he felt his shoulder being caressed softly, as if he was being comforted. He started to calm down, but then reverted to his current ways of dealing with his problems. Gohan instantly turned around and crashed their lips together in a desperate, pathetic kiss, which Cell of course relented to keep control over him. He made sure that he had the bag in his hand when he rested his head on Cell's shoulder, prompting the android to hold him.

Cell was still unsure of how to properly show affection, because he was never 'programmed' to. He put one hand on his back and the other followed. Gohan soon lifted his head up slowly, searching for a second kiss, and he almost got one before he was interrupted.

"Are you ready to leave?"

"Yeah," he answered, trying not to sound too disappointed. He was only minutes away from getting what he wanted; one more round of hostile sex where they were sure to have as much privacy as they desired, enough silence for Cell to make Gohan scream loud enough to destroy without disturbing anyone. Gohan took one last look at his home before they finally disappeared.

* * *

"Gohan!"

Gohan just about managed to smile at his five year old brother as he ran up to him. The young boy looked very happy to see him, but it just made Gohan feel awkward.

"Hey," he muttered. He looked up from Goten to see that his mother still had her back to him; she was changing his newborn brother, Haru, who was gurgling away on the changing table. "Mom, I have the stuff you wanted -"

"Just leave it over there," she said quickly, not even turning around. Gohan sighed out of frustration and threw the bag onto her bed. Just as he expected, she was still mad at him for what he did - letting Goten more or less walk in on him and Cell getting up to no good, though he didn't really see anything to cause any harm.

"Mom -"

"Your father wanted to speak to you. He'd outside."

Gohan just rolled his eyes and left the room before he said anything he'd regret. Though he hadn't noticed that Chi Chi did actually turn to look at him as he left the room.

* * *

"How soon before we head out?" asked Piccolo. Cooler folded his arms as he began pacing; it was to hide his own nerves about the situation.

"We go tonight. We need to find your family and friends a safe area to stay."

"Why do you care about our families?" asked a skeptical Vegeta.

"Don't think for a second that I do, but if Frieza captures them, they can be used against us to blow our cover."

"Hey, Gohan! Did you get your mother's things?" asked Goku as Gohan walked out to them. _So he didn't actually want to speak to me... she just wanted to get rid of me..._

"Uh, yeah," he mumbled. Gohan seemed more down than usual, which sparked Vegeta to speak up.

"Everything okay? You seem low."

"I'm okay... it's just... being in that house again," he said honestly. "But seriously, I'm fine."

They all walked inside where everyone was gathering in the hallway, getting their bearings and their things together for leaving. As soon as Cooler began his usual strategies and speechifying, Gohan began to get bored, but as he looked over to Cell, he noticed that the android wasn't paying any attention to the speeches going on; in fact, he'd been staring at him the entire time.

"What?" he mouthed, not drawing any attention to himself. Cell cocked his head sharply to the right with a smile, gesturing at him to follow him when he casually slipped around the corner. Gohan, not seeing any reason to stick around, edged away from his friends and followed him out. Unknowingly catching the suspicions of Krillin. The monk wanted to tag along to see what they were up to, but couldn't seem to find the right opportunity to sneak off.

* * *

Cooler was talking for a good twenty minutes before everyone was finally dismissed. Krillin hurried down the corridor where Gohan had disappeared down. He looked lost until he heard laughter.

Gohan was laughing.

It was something that made his heart skip a few beats as he hadn't even seen Gohan smile properly for months. It was definitely his human half, it sounded too innocent to be anything else. Then he heard him yell.

Krillin rushed around the corner to what looked like one of the smaller bathrooms with the door ajar. As he went closer, Gohan came into view; he was lying face down over the counter, jerking forward rhythmically as if he was being... _Oh god no!_ That laugh didn't sound so pure anymore. Krillin had hoped he'd never have to see them together, but he was half tempted to walk in there and put a stop to it.

"Ah... yeah!"

Gohan raised is head and rested on his elbows as he got more and more into it, but Krillin physically jumped when he saw Cell's hand reach out and forcefully shove him back down onto the counter by the back of his neck. The will to break this up faded quickly when he thought about Cell being in there with him.

"Fuck me!"

Krillin wished he'd never heard that... that was his best friend's son. All of the moaning suddenly stopped. He popped his head around the corner again slightly and saw Gohan sat on the counter, more or less fully dressed, though his pants were wonky. His hair was messier than usual... but he was smiling. Genuinely smiling. He was about to go in there and drag him away, but Cell suddenly came into view, pulling Gohan closer to him, causing the boy to begin laughing again.

"Such a filthy mouth."

"You started it."

They were soon kissing, but Krillin stopped looking again when Cell's hand disappeared down Gohan's pants.

"Krillin, have you seen Gohan?"

He froze when he realised who that voice belonged to and turned around to see Chi Chi.

"Uh... no, he's not down here."

"I think I need to talk to him."

Now really wasn't the best time for her to decide to try again to reunite with Gohan, especially as he could hear him again next door. Chi Chi was about to turn around when she heard a loud moan coming from behind her.

"What was that?"

"What? I didn't hear anything."

There it was again, that laughter. Her eldest son was laughing for the first time in what felt like years. Krillin couldn't stop her from looking into the bathroom. Neither Gohan or Cell noticed her. She felt unnerved by seeing the android's hands on him, and felt especially sick at the sight of his clothes barely clinging onto him. By the look of his hair sticking to his face, it didn't take long to work out what they'd been doing. They began kissing again, Gohan smiling into it. Chi Chi hadn't seen him smile like that for anyone.

Before they could see her, she left and ran as fast as she could.

Krillin didn't know whether to follow her or not, but couldn't hear anything explicit going on, so decided to finally show himself. Gohan was just tying his belt when he seemed to appear in front of them. The boy jumped when he turned around.

"What the -"

"What do _you_ want?" snarled Cell, who was leaning against the counter.

"Get out of here, Cell," growled Krillin. Cell looked at Gohan for a second; he nodded, prompting Cell to leave with a wide smirk across his face that only Krillin could see - he knew that they were being watched the whole time. "What the hell was that?"

"What was what?" asked Gohan, feeling nervous.

"I saw the whole thing, the door was wide open!"

"Oh... whoops," said Gohan, scratching his head obliviously. "Sorry about that."

"This has to stop. Cell clearly has some kind of hold over you!"

"You think?" he said sarcastically.

"Maybe it isn't such a good idea you two being so close together through this fight. It might drive you back down again."

"Believe it or not, Krillin, sleeping with him is the only thing keeping me stable right now."

"And that's a habit you're going to have to get out of. You have to stop going back to him all the time."

"I can't stop!" he cried, pushing past him. He began feeling agitated as he didn't want anyone to know the real reason why.

"What is it?"

"Nothing!"

"Walk away then!"

"I can't!" Gohan face away from Krillin, folding his arms as if he was trying to hide away. And then it hit him, and his heart sank even further.

"You're in love with him..."

Gohan turned around, looking quite angry and frustrated.

"And now you see why I hate myself."

"But, all the things he's done to you -"

"You don't have to remind me, I can't really explain it either," he sighed, not wanting to go over everything that Cell did to him in his head. After a long silence, Krillin finally decided to tell him the worst news he could possibly hear right now.

"Your mother wanted to talk to you... but she just saw you."

"What?!" Gohan's eyes widened. "What did she see?!"

"You and Cell... when you were..."

"Oh no..."

Gohan didn't know why he ran after her. Nothing could explain this away.

* * *

Chi Chi was frantically packing away her things, preparing the baby's bag for the long weeks ahead. When she went through Gohan's school bag, she found the old photograph of him and Goten four years ago. She felt devastated. He was no longer a little boy, and in the wrong way.

"Mom!"

Gohan ran into the room to see her staring at the picture. She finally looked at him, only for her heart to break again.

"I guess I did have to see it to believe that you're _sleeping_ with that monster."

"I didn't mean for you to see that."

"The door was wide open! Anybody could have walked in on you. But I guess that's not the whole point."

"I didn't -"

"You were laughing," she said, not sure whether she was happy or distressed about it. "I haven't heard you laugh like that for years! What on earth does he have over you that nobody else does?!"

Gohan didn't know what to say, come to think of it, Cell was the only one who made him laugh these days, even if it was during their 'fun'.

"He doesn't have anything over me," he said, not knowing how else to answer without telling her the truth.

"I've seen the way he looks at you. It's disgusting. Why do you let him do those things to you?" she carried on, still packing angrily. "You shouldn't just give it away, you know Gohan."

"It's a little late for 'the talk' now, mom."

"I don't care, I think we need to have it, I mean, are you being careful?"

Gohan didn't mean to laugh out of disbelief. Safe sex never came up for discussion, especially with Cell.

"Careful? This is Cell we're talking about..."

"Exactly, if you can't even talk to him about that then you're just giving it to him on a plate. Sex should be with somebody you love -" Chi Chi stopped what she was doing when Gohan suddenly avoided eye contact with her as soon as she said that last word. "No... you don't. You can't!" Gohan continued to stare at the floor when his mother picked up her bags. "We are never to mention this again. Understand?"

It was as if Chi Chi had finally washed her hands of him as she brushed past him without another word. But at least he didn't have to see her for a while now, they were all about to head out into battle against Frieza and his army. However, he began to doubt that there was any way to salvage their shattered relationship. And the only thing worse than that was the fact that he only wanted to escape from it all and be with the one person who was responsible for ruining his life.

 **Please Review! Feedback is much appreciated!**


	2. Psychosis

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 2: PSYCHOSIS**

"This is the old Red Ribbon Army base!" said Goku, astonished at the location that Cooler had given them to transport to.

"Doctor Gero recommended it as a base camp for us during the fight, and also to keep a closer eye on the android."

Cell's eye twitched out of annoyance, he didn't want to be 'watched' like an idiot child. He wasn't feeling entirely well that day, not that he let on to anybody. His medication didn't seem to be working as well as it had been recently - he was suffering with headaches for the first time, and he didn't like it one bit.

He regretted every single drug that he'd taken over the years in a bid to forget his defeat at the Cell Games. It came back to bite him. But the more he thought about it, the more he turned the situation onto Gohan again. It was all his fault. And he was going to pay for it... again. _I will destroy you... in every way possible..._

Gohan didn't didn't even notice that he was being stared at rather ferociously, he was too wrapped up in his own darkening thoughts. Being in the living world again was making him feel anxious with him being dead and all. It wasn't helping his already fragile state of mind. But something wasn't right as soon as they arrived, Gohan was feeling odd again, and in a way he'd been dreading the most.

As the other fighters began to talk, he felt Cell's eyes on him, along with a stirring feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Please not now!_ This was not the time for another heat to start brewing up, its not like they could get much privacy in this place. As he started feeling warmer, he began fidgeting, scratching at his stomach. Cell noticed how agitated he was becoming, feeling the heat radiating from the boy. All he could do was laugh inwardly at the timing of it all. He enjoyed watching him suffer, he didn't like showing Gohan much mercy anyway.

* * *

"How many times must I tell you to take these regularly?" pressed Doctor Gero, noticing how many pills were left in the pack he'd given Cell a couple of weeks ago.

Cell just rolled his eyes, being nagged wasn't helping the persistent headache that seemed to be getting worse.

"I don't need supplements," he insisted, keeping his arms folded across his chest.

"Yes you do, if you are stupid enough to abuse your body like you have then you need my help!"

Cell didn't know why he wasn't just walking away, or even just blasting him. Is this what it was like the have a parent? Doctor Gero seemed to have some sort of hold over him.

"Take them properly, and you shouldn't have any problems."

The android just sighed and left the lab abruptly without another word. He was angry again.

* * *

-Flashback-

"It won't stop," mumbled Gohan, lazily attempting to stop his wrist bleeding out into the sink.

"I can't say I'm surprised."

Cell caught him at it for the third time that week, and it was only Tuesday.

It was three months since Cell took him away from his friends; after refusing to let Cell anywhere near him for the entirety of that time, he finally did after recovering from a second attempt on his own life, in which the android found him drunk and bleeding out in the bathroom from slashing his wrists.

Gohan felt something for the first time in months when he finally let Cell touch him, his heart actually beat a little faster for once. But he'd been punishing himself for it ever since; all it took was a strong hand placing itself on his thigh for him to crack. He had sex with his father's killer... again. Wanting to feel something that wasn't despair. _All it took was a little bit of affection, didn't it? Whore._ Gohan was hurting himself more than he usually would, and Cell figured that he was making up for what they did three nights ago.

That was the first amount of physical contact that Cell had experienced since he isolated Gohan from everything he knew, apart from his house which they now more or less lived in. But that was also tarnished with bad memories and dry blood all over the bathroom. The android was craving more of that closeness that he finally coaxed out of him, praying that it wouldn't take another three months to accomplish. He didn't know why he was yearning for it so much, but he was growing to appreciate it more when Gohan did give him some form of attention that didn't involve the phrase 'fuck off'. It was mostly about controlling the boy, but he was still getting used to his more selfish innate desires from his saiyan cells that he was still finding difficult to understand - but it felt powerful.

"Press harder," he said, grabbing other white hand towel and putting it on his wrist for him. Gohan noticeably flinched at his touch again, looking at him sheepishly before concentrating on his injuries. He pressed down firmly on his cuts, ignoring the sickly sound it made. "Why do you keep punishing yourself?"

"Because I have to," replied Gohan angrily.

"Let go of that annoying conscience before it really does kill you."

"Why do I keep letting you in?" Gohan hadn't looked at him properly for days, still staring at the kitchen wall.

"You don't want to accept the way I make you feel."

"I hate you!" he spat, finally looking at him.

"I know you do."

"Stop pretending that you care about me. You're doing this because you just want to get in my pants."

"Don't ever think that I care about you."

"If you want to fuck me so much the why don't you just force me? It's not like I can stop you." _Why did I just say that?_

"Would that make you feel better? That you'd have a clear conscience while I had my way with you?"

"I guess not..."

"I have no desire to force you to do anything. I like to watch you unwind by yourself."

Cell was always fascinated in the rare moments the Gohan lost himself. He'd never been close to anybody, especially in such a manner. He'd always planned out the most violent revenge ideas in his head over the years, but never thought of this - of making Gohan willingly surrender himself like that. The android never knew why he was given a reproductive system, he knew what to do with it, but never saw a real purpose behind it. Gohan being so dismissive of him only made Cell chase him; he wanted to see more of this mysterious side to the young saiyan, he didn't even think Gohan was sure himself of what he was capable of.

"Are you still here?" seethed Gohan, releasing his wrist as it had finally stopped bleeding.

"Be honest, what do you want?"

"I want to kiss you."

"Why?"

"I don't know!"

"There must be a reason."

"There isn't, what is with the constant mind games?"

There were no mind games on Cell's part this time, he was genuinely curious as to where these strange urges were coming from as he didn't know why he had them too. It never bothered him before their first time, and now he couldn't seem to get enough of it. He needed to know why.

-End Flashback-

* * *

The heat was creeping up on him fast, his stomach was twisting into knots as he felt himself begin to sweat from the sudden fever. Gohan rubbed his stomach anxiously trying to make the pain go away, he was going to resist this time. He was alone in one of the corridors, trying to make himself focus on the imminent battle. He couldn't contain contain a shaky whimper as he doubled over slightly; the pain was getting worse, his whole body began quivering from his rising temperature.

Gohan couldn't help but look up hopefully when Cell came around the corner.

Cell's headache was worsening, he was hoping that some peace and quiet away from everybody would make it go away. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the boy, his expression was passive. Gohan seemed to be getting desperate as he was struggling with the pain. At last, something to help Cell with his headache, but it wasn't going to help the poor suffering saiyan in front of him.

"Now this is familiar," said Cell, approaching him. Gohan had his arms wrapped around his own stomach, rocking forwards. He'd since begun hyperventilating to try to keep up with the changes in his body. "You look dreadful."

Gohan raised his head and looked at the android.

"Help me..." he gasped between stomach cramps, regretting asking as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Cute," replied Cell with a sly smirk. He just stood in front of him with his arms by his side, watching him suffer.

"Make it stop," stammered Gohan, digging his nails into his own abdomen.

As tempting as it was, the idea of leaving him in pain was proving to excite him more. Anything to give himself a boost out of his foul mood. He stared Gohan up and down with his eyes as if he a piece of dirt, and turned to leave.

"Please don't go!"

Gohan desperately threw himself at him. Cell caught him by one of his arms and grabbed Gohan by his jaw with his free hand, shoving him against the wall violently. Gohan only felt slight relief from being touched, it wasn't enough. Cell held onto him tight with an unreadable expression on his face as he leaned to whisper into his ear.

"Go to hell."

Cell snatched his hands back, sneering as he walked away. That did feel good, but the headache was still there.

Gohan finally succumbed to the pain as he slid down the wall and curled up into a ball. That was the first time Cell had pushed him away like that. Now what?

* * *

-Flashback-

Cell couldn't hear any noise coming from him. They'd got this far into it and he still wasn't getting anything from him at all, apart from the occasional grunt whenever he hurt him accidentally.

"Give me something," said Cell, finally breaking the silence. Gohan was lying on his front on his bed. As Cell sat up and got off him, he felt more self conscious than ever. Starving himself for so long didn't help the situation at all, he was malnourished and underweight. Being naked wasn't helping him.

"What do you want from me?" he mumbled, not really moving.

"I didn't get this far to sleep with a corpse."

"I always admired your honesty," replied Gohan sarcastically.

"Nobody exists right now, apart from this room."

"We both know that isn't true."

Gohan gasped while he was distracted when he felt a cold hand caressing his inner thigh... much higher up than what was necessary.

"Now that's the kind of reaction we want," said Cell with a smile. "Do me a favor? Don't think at all for the next few minutes."

"Why?" asked Gohan nervously, still not moving. His question was soon answered unexpectedly, feeling the androids fingers around his entrance, followed by his sinful tongue. _Don't do that!_ Gohan wanted him to stop desperately, because he loved it; he wanted to hate himself, but he felt a humming sensation in his skin as his hips and back were being traced over tenderly by cold hands. Gohan innately started to grind backwards into it. At last, he wasn't thinking.

Cell finally got some noise out of him, stopping immediately. He heard a sigh of disappointment, which was exactly what he wanted. He leaned over him again, holding him close as he positioned himself. This time, Gohan closed his eyes as he felt Cell push into him slowly. _Don't think._

-End Flashback-

* * *

Gohan stirred, his eyes flickering open slowly. He was on the floor of the corridor where he passed out twenty minutes ago. He was still curled up in a ball, clutching his stomach. It seemed to be a little better after his little 'nap'. The pain was still there, but it was now more bearable.

He shakily pushed himself onto his feet and made his way to the communal area, deciding to join the others if Cell wasn't going to pay any attention to him right now. He felt so stupid, the fact that Cell's hateful rejection was hurting him more than the heat was.

* * *

\- Flashback-

The young saiyan pulled the covers over himself, hiding his protruding ribs away from a certain pair of eyes that were still watching his every move. Gohan had finally come round from his recent climax, breathing slowly and staring at the ceiling. Now he was thinking. And he didn't like what his brain was trying to tell him.

"I see the guilt is starting to set in again."

Cell wasn't too bothered about it, he also got what he wanted out of it, feeling physically relaxed.

"That was _so_ wrong."

"I know it was. The best things usually are."

As soon as Gohan felt that cold hand appear on his shoulder, he shot upright, throwing himself out of bed and storming out of the room. Cell rolled his eyes as he heard the shower begin to run. It was obvious that Gohan wasn't going to be opening up to him again anytime soon, that last round might have pushed him too far...

-End Flashback-

* * *

"First we need to find out where Frieza is getting his power from. There must be a source," said Piccolo.

"You believe that whatever is giving him more power even _has_ a source?" asked Cooler.

"Maybe it's the same source that's causing reality to fall apart."

The fighters were all gathered in an old derelict office in the building, speculating.

"So you think that whatever is causing everything has some sort of physical form," clarified Vegeta.

"But if Frieza has all the power he needs - and more, then what does he want the dragon balls for?" asked Goku.

All of their eyes wandered to the four magical dragon balls sat in the centre of the small table in the middle of the room. Those were the four dragon balls that they'd battled to acquire from Frieza a few weeks ago. If Frieza had only gathered them in a matter of days, then he would without a doubt have the other three by now. These balls that they had had to be guarded at all costs.

"To secure that power? For immortality?" speculated Cooler.

"Who knows, but whatever he wants to wish for can't be good," said Piccolo.

"We need to get the other three dragon balls for ourselves," said Trunks sternly, though nervously at the thought of battling Frieza at his current strength. "We need them to put reality back to the way it was."

"We need to confront him sooner rather than later, he'd only going to get stronger if we leave him and his army to it," said Cell from the far corner of the room.

Gohan's eyes narrowed as he cringed at the thought of facing Frieza, especially since the tyrant had a personal vendetta against him... and also wanted to capture him for his own selfish motives; his use for saiyans in the past went way beyond their fighting skills.

They were about to continue when Goku suddenly dropped his glass of water, it shattered into pieces on the floor.

"Goku are you okay?" asked Tien.

Goku seemed to stop dead.

"Saiyan, what is wrong?!" yelled Cooler.

His eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed onto the floor without another word. For once, something other than Cell seemed to phase Gohan, who came rushing towards him.

"Dad?!"

He went to shake him to try to wake him... until he also froze where he was.

"Gohan!"

As Piccolo went over to him, every seemed to happen in slow motion. Gohan's windpipe seemed to close, his stomach stopped turning for the first time in hours, and then he too collapsed into the floor.

"What's happening?" asked Jeice, running over to Gohan to try to wake him. Though Cell didn't change his expression, he was also concerned.

Goku's eyes flickered open, as did Gohan's soon after. Goku sat up, both knowing what had happened to them, but one of them was obviously taking it better than the other.

"Guys, what happened?!" asked Krillin. Goku sat up and looked at his hands, occasionally squeezing them into fists to try to get used to his body again.

"I'm alive..."

"What?! But how?!" cried Cooler.

The heat that Gohan was going through had suddenly disappeared, as if his body had reset itself. But he wasn't okay at all. He was alive again too. But all he could think about was making it stop. _Please no, don't make me go through this again..._ He'd spent the past year trying to kill himself, being dead while reality was shifting uncontrollably was just about the only thing stopping him from going insane. Ever since Cell finally put him out of his misery accidentally a few weeks ago, everything seemed easier, but now the depression was increased tenfold, as if his heart was being dragged downwards through the floor and crushed by the pressure of it. His heart was beating fast, he could feel the blood flowing through him again because his life depended on it again. It only caused him more pain.

"Dende!"

Everybody turned to Piccolo for answers.

"It's got to be him! He must have escaped to Namek and used the dragon balls to revive you! The Nameks must know about Frieza's uprising!"

Gohan actually hated Dende for a few seconds. He watched his father rejoice at being alive again for the first time in five years. But he felt nothing but disappointment and defeat.

"I can't believe I'm alive!" exclaimed Goku, feeling more motivated than ever. But when he looked at his son, he suddenly felt worried.

Gohan was still lying on the floor with his face buried into his arms, one of his hands was pulling at his own hair.

"Gohan, are you okay?" asked Krillin, kneeling down to talk to him, he didn't know exactly how Gohan was taking the situation. He mumbled something but he couldn't hear him. "Gohan - "

The boy suddenly pushed himself onto his feet and ran out of the room as fast as he could. Vegeta, Krillin, Piccolo and Goku ran after him.

"Gohan, wait!"

Gohan stopped running and buried his head into the wall. The pain was unbearable, he promised himself that if he could go back half an hour, he'd never complain about going into heat ever again. The past few years had caught up with him, everything was flying around his head, everything he was feeling and thinking was as raw as ever. He was feeling every single emotion associated with his downfall at once as if it was making up for the weeks that he was dead.

"Gohan, it's okay, you're just not used to it!" said Goku, attempting to pull him into a hug. Gohan flinched and smacked his hands away.

"Get away from me!"

A lot of negative energy was building up within Gohan, and they could all sense it. Suddenly, he started frantically pulling at his hair and punching the wall.

"Stop it! You'll hurt yourself!"

Goku tried to grab him, but it only agitated him further, causing him to panic horribly.

"KILL ME!"

Gohan became hysterical, crying loudly and clawing at the wall as if he was trying to bury himself into it to try and escape from the clutches of life. He collapsed the the floor in tears, curling up into a ball in an attempt to disappear; it was too much for him. He started hitting himself in the head, screaming as loud as he could to try to wake himself up from this nightmare.

* * *

We need your help," said Jeice, finding Cell alone at the other side of the building.

"Do you," he replied, not really knowing how to process what he saw, mostly due to his headache.

"We don't know what to do, we don't know how this happened," said Trunks. Cell was the last person he wanted to turn to for help, but it seemed that he was the only one who could get through to Gohan.

"Bringing him back to life has obviously triggered some kind of psychosis," said Cell blankly. Even he had never seen Gohan like that before.

"Do you think you can get him to speak?"

* * *

They managed to get him more or less safely onto a bed so that he wouldn't hurt himself. After four hours straight of screaming and crying, he'd lost his voice and most of his energy, all he could do was lie there, staring vacantly at the ceiling. Gohan's eyes were red and swollen, bloodshot from his persistent shrieking. He had no idea why being brought back to life caused him to become so hysterical. The occasional whimper managed to escape from him, but he seemed calmer on the outside. He was exhausted, but didn't want to go to sleep. He didn't want to have to go through the disappointment of waking up.

Vegeta and Trunks had removed just about everything from the bedroom he was in as a precaution; there was absolutely nothing he could use to attempt suicide again. They were prepared this time.

The door slowly opened, and then closed again. Gohan knew Cell was there, but he didn't even blink, still seemingly catatonic.

"Can you speak?"

Silence. He still wasn't moving. Cell walked over to him, sitting on the edge of the bed. He could hear him breathing slowly, but it was forced, like he was on the edge of another panic attack. The android, for once, was stunned by it all. He decided to try something else. He slid his hand into Gohan's, which was lying still at his side. After a few seconds, Gohan responded, holding onto Cell's hand tightly, though he still wasn't moving at all.

Gohan was still in there... somewhere.

 **Yeah... I shamelessly love writing for these two.**

 **Please Review**


	3. Mind Games

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 3: MIND GAMES**

Gohan seemed to have reverted back to his old self again somehow on the outside. Cell thought he looked as innocent as he used to be when he first saw him. After two intense days of trying to coax him out of the depths of his shattered mind, Gohan had finally found the strength to close his eyes and let himself rest.

 _How sweet..._ Cell walked over slowly so not to wake him. In the past two days, Gohan still hadn't said a word, but was aware that he'd experienced a violent psychotic episode, which was definitely triggered by being brought back to life unexpectedly. He found himself slowly starting to come out of it, still feeling hollow and broken inside, but not so much that he wanted to scream until his lungs collapsed. He manged to eat something at least.

The android only popped in for a minute, he didn't know why. Instead of just walking away, he found himself playing with the boy's hair. Gohan did stir at all, in fact he looked quite relaxed. After a few more minutes, he finally dragged himself away to leave the room, he needed to find somewhere quiet. The headache was getting worse, and he knew what was coming next... anytime now.

* * *

Jeice saw Cell leave Gohan's room from a distance, he was readying himself to go in there and speak to him. It turned out that Piccolo wasn't the only enemy that Gohan had helped to bring over to the good side. Jeice had a lot to thank him for, he couldn't imagine working for Frieza now, and thankfully, neither did Burter, Recoome or Guldo, who were also here at the base with them ready to battle.

Jeice remembered when they first met in hell; Gohan helped him fight off Frieza as he attempted to bully Jeice multiple times, and Jeice was there for Gohan when his training and sexual relationship with Cell all started. But lately, he felt like he hadn't been there for him nearly as much as he'd hoped, mostly because Cell was always around him.

Knocking first, Jeice opened the door slightly, squeezing through, and shutting it quietly behind him. Gohan was still peacefully sleeping, which was a good sign. He went over and sat on the chair next to the bed, holding his hand. He swore to himself that he wasn't moving until Gohan fully came back.

* * *

The headache was starting to fade, but not in a good way. He was starting to forget where he was and what he was doing. His vision began to blur and his hands went numb.

Cell began using the wall as his crutch until he finally found a large enough room to contain what was about to happen without him hurting himself too much. He staggered inside, barricading the door shut securely. At last, relief started to wash over him, as did more numbness. But he didn't want anybody to see him. He hated to admit that he was actually scared of what he'd wake up to - or if he'd wake up at all.

Cell felt everything this time, first his hearing disappeared, replaced by a loud, constant ringing. His eyes rolled into the back of his head before he finally collapsed onto the floor, mostly still this time, but his hands were tensely curled up and convulsing violently. His throat felt awful like it was closing, as if he was choking on his voice, which was escaping through his teeth as his jaw was clamped shut.

All he could do was wait until it passed, but every second felt like an eternity; he'd never felt fear like it.

* * *

Jeice was snoring loudly, still holding onto Gohan's hand. He'd been sitting there for a good four hours, steadily dozing off. Gohan finally stirred, his eyes flickering open slowly.

Gohan experienced those blissful few seconds where he forgot about everything as he woke up, but he soon remembered that he was in the Red Ribbon Army base; he remembered that he was alive again, and also remembered some of the episode he experienced up to the point where he collapsed and began screaming - after that it was a total blank. He felt exhausted and his eyes felt tight and swollen. It took him a good few minutes to realise that his hand was being held - and to acknowledge the snoring coming from Jeice.

Gohan felt himself smile at the fact that he wasn't alone, always knowing that Jeice was there in the end. He took his hand back carefully, not waking him, and stood up to walk towards the cracked mirror hanging on the decrepit wall. He was shocked at the state of his eyes, he must have been crying a lot for them to look so puffy and bloodshot. No wonder he was still so tired and heavy-eyed.

Jeice's snoring suddenly became abrupt, making Gohan turn around quickly. Jeice was still asleep, just adjusting his head.

Gohan turned back to the mirror to be stunned... his eyes still felt swollen and tired, but in the mirror, he looked like his normal self. He squinted with confusion, more puzzled when his reflection wasn't squinting back at him, but smiling - then it winked.

Gohan gasped, staring wide eyed at the boy in the mirror; he just smiled rather wickedly, confidence oozing from him, making Gohan realise that his psychosis may have triggered something.

 _He's escaped... he got out..._

His reflection laughed back at him, seductively biting down on his own lip, making Gohan feel physically sick. _Is this really what they all see when he's in control?_

He heard a loud groan coming from behind him. Gohan turned around to see Jeice finally waking up, though he didn't see the other Gohan in the mirror tilt to one side as if he was trying to see what was going on.

"Hey, kid," he said, stretching and yawning. "How long have you been awake?"

Gohan just remembered what he was doing, turning back to the mirror to only to see his regular reflection.

"Gohan?"

"Um, a few minutes."

* * *

"We're wasting time here," growled Cooler. The fighters were currently having a heated debate about their schedule, but due to Gohan's condition, a few people weren't willing to budge until he was better. "If we want to get the remaining dragon balls then it has to be now!"

"I'm staying here, I need to look after my son," said Goku firmly.

"There's nothing stopping the half breed from staying here."

"We need Gohan in this fight!" yelled Piccolo; he wasn't going to stand there and listen to Cooler disregard one of their strongest fighters.

"He is a wreck! He is better off here, away from the battle."

"He'll get better, I know he will!" cried Goku, now more determined than ever to be by his side.

"Face it, Kakarot." The all turned to Vegeta. "Gohan's been deeply depressed for years. It's going to take a lot more than a couple of days of bed rest to fix this. And you know it."

"I want to stay here."

Goku wasn't budging this time, not even to save the universe. Cooler sighed.

"Well we still need to get there unnoticed," said Salza.

"Where's the android? He can take us."

"Hey... where _is_ Cell?" asked Krillin, only just noticing that he was gone.

"He's not with Gohan is he?" said Trunks anxiously.

"No, I can only sense Jeice in his room with him."

"I can't sense him at all," said Goku.

* * *

"How are you doing?" asked Jeice, looking at his friend. He and Gohan were sat against the wall on the floor.

"That's the hardest question for me to answer," he replied. "I just feel numb."

"I've missed you."

Gohan finally raised his head to look at Jeice.

"I've missed you too," he said, finally giving a smile that wasn't forced. Another long silence passed before he spoke again. "How long was I out?"

"A couple of days."

"Ouch... really? Have they gone to fight Frieza?"

"No, your dad's insisting on waiting until you're better. I think they're still arguing over that."

"What happened to me?" he asked, not sure whether he wanted to know or not. Jeice answered him anyway, it's not like things could get any worse.

"You started crying and screaming."

"I know, what happened after that? It's still a total blank."

"You were screaming at your father. Telling him to kill you."

"And I thought I'd already reached rock bottom before..." he sighed.

"What was rock bottom for you?"

Gohan was hesitant to answer, not wanting Jeice to know the gory details.

"I'll go first," he said, reaching into his armor. Gohan laughed when he pulled out a carton of cheap cigarettes. He put one into his mouth before offering Gohan one. "Don't even try to deny that you haven't smoked before, I know you." Gohan rolled his eyes with a suppressed smirk in a weak attempt to protest his innocence before taking one. Jeice lit them both before they settled back down against the wall.

"Go on then," said Gohan, playing along. He ignored the stale taste of his cigarette, instead using it to relax himself a little.

"The worst time of my life was just after I joined the Ginyu Force," he explained, oddly relaxed about telling his tale. "We got our asses handed to us on a mission and we ended up back on some random planet... and I decided a few days later to go on a killing spree. I thought that it'd be fun. I ended up going onto one of the planet's moons and killing hundreds of people one by one." Jeice's voice suddenly filled with regret. "I only ever killed during a fight after that. That wasn't who I wanted to be."

Gohan carried on smoking, no wanting to push him into explaining further.

"Your turn then, can't be much worse than a massacre."

"Depends how you look at it, I guess."

"How come?"

"It was back when I was hooked on the antranide."

"That stuff is fucking lethal. I mean, I only took it a few times but at the rate you were going, I'm surprised you're still sane... well, sort of."

Gohan laughed at his brutal honesty, taking another puff of his cigarette.

"I started to get the antranide of Cell in exchange for various... favors, that's one thing I'm really not proud of. But once I got _really_ out of my depth."

"What happened?"

"I said something extremely stupid that he decided to take seriously. So I walked into my room one night and I was surrounded."

"What do you mean surrounded?" asked Jeice, sounding worried.

"He'd split into two, and I took them both on at once," he said quickly before he could take it back. He went straight back to his cigarette for relief.

"What do you - ooh... ouch," said Jeice. "Did he force himself on you?"

"Not exactly," said Gohan, not wanting to think about it too much, more scared that he'd start smiling at the memories the more he did think about it. "I went along with it."

"But you didn't like it?"

"I did and I didn't, it's hard to explain."

"Yeah... ouch!" he repeated, grimacing.

"Yeah, that was one hangover that I will regret for the rest of my life. That and the bottle thing."

"The what?!"

"Never mind..."

"Very different low points for both of us then," said Jeice, changing the subject.

* * *

Yamcha found himself deep in the more ruined side of the base after picking up a weak, flickering signal close by. He tried all of the doors until he got to one that wouldn't open. It wasn't locked, just blocked off by something.

"Cell? Are you in there?"

Yamcha held his breath before forcing the door open with some of his strength. Immediately, he found the android lying on the floor on his side. He hesitantly hurried down onto his knees to give him a gentle nudge.

"Cell?"

Cell's lips were an odd blue colour, but the nudge seemed to snap him out of it. He slowly opened his eyes to see Yamcha staring down at him, a little concerned, but mostly terrified.

 _Why does it always have to be me?_

Cell pushed himself up into a sitting position before pinching the bridge of his nose to try and stave off the ache that surrounded his sinuses.

"Are you okay? Did you have another seizure?"

"Will you shut up!" he snapped, trying to refocus his eyes.

"I'm getting Doctor Gero, don't move!"

Yamcha left as fast as he could, knowing that Cell was too weak to try and stop him.

* * *

"You must have been lying there for a few hours. What on earth possessed you to lock yourself up alone if you could feel it coming on. You should have come straight to me!"

"I'm fine," said Cell. And he was feeling fine now. No longer feeling weak or disoriented as he did when he first came around.

"I've managed to manufacture more medication that's more suited to your current condition. And since you refuse to take pills because you're stubborn then I've made it so you only need to come to me once a week."

"Once a week for what?"

Doctor Gero held up a syringe filled with a green liquid.

"This should stop the seizures. But only if you keep taking it this time."

Cell rolled his eyes, but accepted these terms a lot better than last time. He had to accept that he needed some help... temporarily at least.

* * *

Though he did accept that he wasn't at his best, Cell was still feeling particularly ticked off. He soon found himself walking in Gohan's direction. He had no idea whether he was awake or not yet, finding that watching him be more or less comatose was getting extremely boring.

He opened the door without knocking and marched in, slamming it shut behind him. Expecting to find him asleep, all he saw was an empty bed. He was stumped for a second until he turned his head to his left. Gohan was stood there against the wall, frozen. The boy just stared at him, looking a little frightened by the look in Cell's eyes; they were filled with frustration and an unpredictable madness.

Cell suddenly lunged towards him, making Gohan's eyes instantly snap shut out of fear, readying himself for a relentless onslaught of punches which he'd usually expect from Cell if he was in this sort of mood. But instead he opened his eyes again to meet with Cell's. Before he could say anything, he was kissed rather abruptly.

For the first time, he actually embraced being alive again as his heart started to flutter with excitement. Gohan went along with it, kissing back with the best of his ability to do so, trying to gain more access by biting at his lower lip. Cell was soon won over by the way Gohan used his tongue. Gohan had one hand behind Cell's neck, the other on his chest.

Cell became more violent, shoving him back against the wall; Gohan gasped, not expecting to collide with the wall behind him. He felt cold hands disappear up his shirt, feeling them digging into the skin on his back. In response he moved his hand lower and grabbed him between his legs. Cell stopped, pulling back, which prompted Gohan to take his hand back.

"Um..." Gohan mouthed awkwardly, almost tempted to apologise.

"Say it," whispered Cell.

"Say what? asked a confused Gohan.

"You know what," said Cell firmly. Gohan caught on. He didn't want to, but did as he was told.

"I love you," he said quietly, hating himself as he spoke.

"Hm," he said in response, examining the boy's still slightly swollen eyes. "So, enjoying your new lease of life?" he goaded, taking a step back. Now he knew what he was in the mood for... more mind games. They seemed to work a treat on Gohan at his most vulnerable.

"Why did I even think for a second that you didn't come here to just kick me while I'm down?"

"I'll take that as a no, then."

"Well at least you get a second chance," said Gohan, not really knowing why he said it.

"That's true," said Cell. The android raised his hand to Gohan's face, the boy flinching against his touch when he placed his hand on his cheek. Gohan opened his eyes again when the hand wasn't moving, he was confused.

"What are you doing?"

"You're warm."

Cell removed his hand after a few more seconds, but Gohan was still frozen against the wall, waiting for him to do something terrible to him - wanting him to. He didn't want to be alive.

"You're not going to hit me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Then what the fuck do you want?!" he yelled angrily, finally pushing himself away from the wall. Cell just stood there smirking back at him; he didn't intend to do anything to the boy at all - and that's what made Gohan agitated the most, when he _didn't_ do anything. "Why are you here?!"

Cell's smirk soon turned into a mocking chuckle, yet he didn't move when Gohan began to approach.

"What are you laughing at?" he growled, not amused in the slightest. When Cell chuckled again, Gohan shoved him backwards.

"You're right back where you started, despite all that pain you had to go through, all those times that you tried to end your own life. After all of that, you're alive again."

 _Switch_

"And that's funny? I thought you relished in death," said Gohan, shoving him back again. "Like the sick FUCKER you are!" Gohan struck him quite hard, enough to make him stumble. Cell brought his hand back to see his own blood on it... it was strange to admit that he liked it, he hadn't been hit like that for a long time. Then again, he did always like a challenge. But he was off guard when he was hit again, this time a lot harder; he hit the floor as he was thrown off balance.

"I was wondering when you'd make an appearance," he said, trying to ignore his aching jaw and possible broken nose. Gohan's saiyan half had finally come out to play again - and he wasn't happy about the situation either.

"Why are you letting me smack you around, you fucking idiot?"

Gohan gave a strong, unforgiving kick to Cell's abdomen before the android could retaliate to that one, he didn't appreciate being called an 'idiot'.

"Get up! I want to see your face when I hit it!"

He kicked him a second time in the side, which was now preventing Cell from getting up again. The android was wondering why he was in so much pain, but figured that Gohan's saiyan half was stronger than his human side; which meant that this version of Gohan had the capability of channeling his anger. He wondered just how far he could torture somebody in his current state - he didn't get very far during the Cell Games.

"Come on, stand up. I thought this was what you wanted..."

Both of them recognised that statement as an echo from their fight five years ago. Cell couldn't move, just like then; but at least he wasn't terrified this time, just aching so much that he couldn't move.

"Yes, you're way more fun when you're loose," he answered, grimacing with pain in between words.

"I'm probably not as 'loose' as you want me to be right now," said Gohan, standing over him. "I'm really not in the mood to be fucked like some kind of animal... again." Gohan's saiyan half was still angry about the last time he had brief control, he didn't take too kindly about being held down, told that his face wasn't 'interesting him'.

Just as Cell went to finally stand up again, Gohan dragged him up himself by his arm. As he regained his balance, Gohan dealt him another blow to his stomach, an even stronger one. It caused Cell to double over and wrap his arms around his beaten torso.

"Why are you letting me hit you?" he laughed, shoving him again. "What's the matter, love? You scared of me?"

And that was what made Cell finally retaliate. He wasn't scared of him, not ever. It was supposed to be the other way around. Gohan was smacked full force in the face, enough to make him stumble sideways. He turned back to face him with blood running from a cut on his cheek; but he was laughing. Immediately he gave one back, sending Cell back to the ground. Gohan kicked him a few more times until he was finally knocked unconscious.

"Let's see how you like being knocked out for a change," he panted, finally calming down again. Gohan never wondered why he'd beaten Cell so easily, just putting it down to pure anger; little did he know that Cell was still recovering from his last seizure, being knocked unconscious probably wasn't going to help him much.

His head shot towards the door; his friends had sensed all the commotion. He didn't want to be around them, he didn't care enough about them to explain himself, though Cell had it coming for a while. Taking one last look at Cell, he quickly made a break for the window, and he was gone.

 **Lot of violence coming up. Got to love some violence.**

 **Please Review**


	4. Justice

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Surprise! Rapid update!**

 **WARNING: Sex Scene, violence and self harm**

 **CHAPTER 4: JUSTICE**

All of Gohan's new senses were overwhelming. The saiyan half of him had never been in control long enough for him to experience them fully. It'd had been just over a week since he ran away from his friends.

He must have been hundreds of miles north of where the red ribbon army base was, he found himself on the outskirts of Satan City. He could smell food, fish to be precise, being cooked nearby. He stealthily tip toed closer through the trees. The smoke from the fire was a dead giveaway when he saw it from a distance an hour go.

Gohan seemed to find a lot of pleasure in hunting, it filled him with adrenaline. As he got closer, he peered through the trees and smirked. _Finally... a little fun._ There were three of them. The first was a thin, purple, reptile-like solider that couldn't have been much taller than he was. The second was more human like, he was quite wide and stocky with a thick white mustache. And the third was a large, bulky creature with snake like facial features. He seemed to be in charge.

It looked like they were on a break, luckily for Gohan, none of them were wearing their scouters, so they couldn't send Frieza any distress signals if he was quick enough.

He raise his right hand, pointing his index finger at the leader. He was facing to the side. Back in Hell, Gohan's human half never acknowledged anything Cell had tried to teach him during their training; he always felt like he was betraying his former mentors, before he starting sleeping with him, that is. It was a technique that Cell had developed himself over the years, a thin, undetectable beam that was so fine that it was impossible to track. This was the first time he'd ever decided to put it into practice after reluctantly learning it.

It was as quick as he'd hoped. He shot right through his arm, and piercing through his aorta, before coming out the other arm. Gohan waited for around thirty seconds before the soldier began to notice something was wrong. The beam was so tiny that it didn't even hurt him as it went through; but now his aorta was bleeding out.

He clutched onto his chest in agony and collapsed off the boulder he was sat on, writhing around as blood filled his lungs. Gohan watched as he choked on his own blood before he finally 'died'. He knew he was now on borrowed time. He wouldn't go to otherworld with reality broken, he'd just come back sooner or later as a dead person - just like Gohan did, before he was brought back to life yet again last week.

The other two soldiers just stood staring at their comrade's corpse sprawled out on the floor. They immediately sprung into action. The stocky one was on guard, watching the trees around him as the other went for his scouter. Now was the time to shows himself before the soldier could send any warnings out. He darted out from the trees, burying his fist into the purple alien's stomach with such force that it punctured through out of his back, shattering his spine. The stocky looking soldier froze. He, too, wanted to go for his scouter, but Gohan was right next to them, and he knew that he wouldn't be fast enough.

Gohan ripped his arm out of the purple alien, letting his mangled body fall to the floor. The last soldier looked horrified by the blood that caked Gohan's arm. He was too terrified to move as Gohan approached him slowly.

"Who are you?" he stuttered, before catching sight of the boy's tail moving behind him. It was slightly raised, showing that Gohan was ready to pounce. "Wait, you're that saiyan! The one Frieza wants to -"

Before he could finish off that sentence, his words were drowned out by screaming as Gohan buried one of his thumbs deep into the soldier's left eye, gouging it out. Gohan didn't know why he had the sudden urge to do that, but it seemed to feel good. It made him feel powerful. He grabbed him by the neck and stared at him fiercely, another smile creeping across his lips. He let out an energy wave through his neck, which obliterated his head; the rest of his body dropped the the ground with a resounding thud.

Gohan really wanted that to last longer, see how all of those years of studying could help him take somebody apart without killing them so soon. But he was so hungry. The fish was now cooked to his liking; he took the stick away from the fire and dug into it instantly. The only thing missing right now was Cell, regretting that he'd left him beaten to a pulp back at the base; he needed to fuck someone, but couldn't bring himself to be 'unfaithful'.

While still eating the fish off the stick, he raised his hand to the soldiers, destroying each of them with low energy blasts to make sure that they didn't come back anytime soon. They were dust now. He left their scouters untouched; if Frieza had caught on to the fact that they weren't moving for some time, at least Gohan had the chance to get as far away from there as possible so that he wouldn't be traced.

* * *

"So Frieza has two dragon balls. Which means that one is still out there somewhere," said Vegeta.

"I can't think about this, I just need to find Gohan," said Goku, now more worried than ever.

"If none of us still can't sense him then he obviously doesn't want to be found," said Cooler, not buttering the situation. Goku had hardly slept for the entire week. "Do you think the android will be ready to join us?"

"Cell seems to be fine, it's taken him a little longer to heal than it normally would thanks to his condition," said Doctor Gero. He was the only person who Cell had any contact with all week, he refused to be seen by anybody else.

* * *

 _"Gohan!" cried Piccolo, bursting into his room. His eyes were fixated on the open window, and then wandered down to the bloody heap in the corner of the room._

 _Cell was unconscious and bleeding profusely from his face. His head crest was cracked, indicating that it must have received a powerful blow to cause that amount of damage; as if Cell's head could take anymore impairment._

 _"Go and get Doctor Gero!" he yelled._

 _"Why, what's happened?" asked Krillin. He was shocked by what he saw when he came in. "Woah! But... where's Gohan?"_

 _"He's gone."_

 _"You don't think Frieza did this, do you?"_

 _"I heard you yelling, what's happening?" asked Doctor Gero, hearing his name being called. He sprung into action instantly, getting onto his knees and examining Cell's head. "Cell? Can you hear me?"_

 _It seemed to drag him out of the darkness; Cell began to stir, immediately feeling the pain in his head and face, as well as his beaten torso._

 _"This is important, who did this to you?"_

 _Cell mumbled something, slurring his words thanks to the concussion, but Piccolo's sensitive hearing picked it up._

 _"Gohan did this?!"_

* * *

Cell was feeling more like his regular self again, his head had healed up nicely, unfortunately, it still didn't help the deterioration of his brain, all that was still progressing as normal. He hadn't seen any of the fighters all week, locked away in Doctor Gero's laboratory, taking any experimental treatment going to help him. He also couldn't be bothered protesting his innocence to Goku and the others. He didn't really do anything to provoke Gohan into attacking him, he didn't want to have to explain the complexity of Gohan's two personalities - and neither did he want to tell them that he knew exactly where Gohan was.

With Cell knowing the ins and outs of Gohan's mind, more or less, he could contact him whenever he wanted. He was secretly planning to stay just for tonight and then head out to join him. They could take on Frieza themselves if they wanted to. But the only way Gohan was going to be capable of helping him do that, then Cell was going to have to mold Gohan into the very monster that he feared. And he was well on his way now.

He could sense him getting closer to Satan City, quite a way away from the soldiers he murdered for sport, and to steal their food. He was quite flattered by the use of his attack to take the first one out. He had quite a task trying to teach him that one.

And now the time was coming where Gohan's saiyan half was becoming unstable again. Eight days was the longest that it had manifested for so far, he was quite impressed. But it was failing again, if only he could have lasted a few more hours until he could get to him before that happened. But he had another way of contacting him, controlling him from a distance. It had been a long while since he'd spoken to Gohan telepathically, he never needed to until now.

Gohan was going to need someone to lean on very soon, those things he just did aren't going to be dealt with very well if he was all alone. Cell didn't want him to do anything stupid... just yet. As he lay in his bed in the laboratory, he waited until Gohan's normal personality began to break through again.

* * *

 _Switch_

He was in a forest overlooking a city. It was dark, in the dead of night.

"What the..."

Gohan began to feel agitated, he couldn't remember anything, he had no idea where he was. The last thing he could recall was yelling at Cell, and then everything seemed to go black. He figured that he was pretty far away, his friend's energy signals were quite faint.

 _"Gohan?"_

He gasped, looking around him to see where the voice was coming from.

"Whatever you do, don't raise your ki. Frieza's men might sense you."

"Cell? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me."

"Where the hell am I?!" He didn't mean to shout, but he was starting to panic. If he couldn't send out any signals then he was stuck.

"You're outside Satan City, I think."

"What? But how?!" Gohan had so many questions, nothing was coming back to him yet. "I'm guessing my saiyan half was out, but how did I get this far out?"

"You've been gone for eight days."

Gohan had to lean back against the nearest tree to get his head around it all. Eight days was a long time. What on earth had he been up to in all that time? He had a horrible feeling in his gut that he did something terrible, but he still couldn't remember anything. It usually came back to him by now.

"So what am I supposed to do now?! Head back to you? Have the others gone ahead with their plan yet?"

"No, not yet. Your absence has put things on hold for the time being."

"Great, so now I'm stalling things for all the innocent people having to live like this."

"Frieza doesn't have all of the remaining dragon balls yet. I've had a good look at the dragon radar while I've been here. We can find it."

"You know where it is?"

"It's not far from you, but I need you to wait where you are until the morning so I can find you."

"You knew where I was this whole time?! Why aren't you here?"

"Well, I would be if your evil twin hadn't left me completely incapacitated. He's packs quite a punch."

"He pummeled you, didn't he?" said Gohan, half finding it funny.

"I suppose he got some lucky shots." Cell couldn't help but smile at Gohan's cheek. "I just need a few more hours to heal myself completely."

"It's took you a week to heal yourself? What did he do?"

"Nothing that couldn't be fixed."

"So you're going to find me and then we're going to find the last dragon ball ourselves. You going to return that beating as well by any chance? Should I be worried?"

"It's not you that I'm after for that, I'll wait until he comes back before I deal with him."

"Oh no..." Gohan got a flash of himself slaughtering those soldiers. The most recent memories seemed to be returning first. He saw his arm covered in the alien's blood. Now he was getting a familiar urge, he clamped over his left wrist with his right hand to try and make it go away.

"Now, we don't want that to happen do we?"

"I don't want to be alone with these feelings!" Gohan was starting to panic, he didn't know what to do. Twenty-six days he'd gone without cutting himself. Almost a month, he could at least reach that milestone. But it was proving difficult to resist as he started feeling worse, all those thoughts attacking him from all sides, telling him horrible things about himself.

"You're not alone. Sit down."

Gohan did so immediately to distract himself. He started rubbing his hands along his thighs to give his hands something to do as he tried to slow his breathing.

"So we're going it alone?"

"For the time being, yes."

"How do I know that you're not just abducting me like you did last time?"

"Hardly. We're still fighting the same war as everybody else. Just doing it our way. We're far safer split up than we are altogether. He'll just pick us all off one by one that way, with no back up."

"I guess, but I also know part of this is to do with Cooler telling you what to do."

Cell laughed. "You're starting to be able to read me well."

"I just know that you hate being told what to do, especially by somebody like him. Every time he opened his mouth you scowled."

"I don't scowl."

"Yes you do," said Gohan, giggling slightly.

"Feeling better?"

"A little," he said, noticing that he was sitting still again rather than fidgeting. "It's pretty peaceful out here. I don't know why they were making out that it was so dangerous."

"Because it probably isn't for someone of your strength. And it's the cities you need to stay away from more than anything. The people are usually in those places ready to be picked off."

"Now what?" sighed Gohan. "I don't think I could sleep out here. Not with soldiers flying around."

"You've slept alright over the week from what I could see."

"That's not creepy..."

"I suppose it is a little."

"Just don't leave me now, I don't think I'll last the night."

Gohan was still feeling fragile from his recent resurrection. On the edge of breaking again. It was too quite where he was, all he could hear were the typical sounds of nature, how the plants where still thriving with the lack of light he had no idea.

"How long has it been since you were on your own like this?"

"A long time. I don't like it." Gohan didn't care whether he sounded pathetic or not. He really didn't like being so isolated. "I need to feel close to someone."

"You'll be fine."

"Why can't you heal out here?"

"I'm hooked up to a monitor in the lab."

"I need you..." He wished he hadn't said that, but Cell would've picked that up in his thoughts anyway. "I just need... I don't know." He began scratching his folded arms.

"Need what?"

"It doesn't matter."

"You want to pass the time?"

"Got any ideas? Anything to stop me feeling like this."

"I'll be willing to stick around for a while, just do me a favor."

"What?"

"Touch yourself."

"Pardon?" Gohan looked a little knocked back by his request, he even began to feel nervous. Either way, it seemed to take his mind off things.

"You heard me."

"Why?"

"I want to watch you."

"Out here?" he argued, trying to find a way to get out of it... though part of him was enticed by the idea.

"Obviously..."

"How do I know that I'm not being watched by anyone else?"

"Well, there aren't any people or soldiers with about fifteen miles of you at least. And I'm cooped up in here by myself for the night. I think it'll be fun."

"Um... what do you want me to do?"

Cell was being surprisingly patient with him, sensing his hesitancy, even finding it adorable.

"Teach me something I don't know about you."

"Mess around?"

"Something like that."

Gohan didn't know where to start, or even if he wanted to at all. His right hand moved up to his right shoulder, grabbing hold of his long hair, pulling at it nervously.

"Are you sure there's nobody out here?"

"Just me, promise."

He settled down more, sinking down against the tree so that he was more comfortable. His heart was beating so fast, he couldn't believe just how nervous he was about it, another way of being agitated about being alone.

Gohan let go of his hair that hung over his right shoulder, moving his hand up to his shoulder and moving any stray hairs off it softly with his fingertips.

"What exactly can you see?" he asked, trying to distract himself. He traced his fingers across his collar bone slowly.

"It's hard to explain... I can just see you."

"Can you see everything?"

He didn't mean to gasp as he caressed his own chest, feeling every contour. He hadn't paid much attention to his body since before he started training. There was so much he didn't know about himself, he surprised at how toned he was.

"You're getting warmer."

Just knowing that he was watching was making him excited, making all of these simple movements feel good. Once he was done with his chest, he dragged his hand down his centre. He pushed his belt further down so that he could open his shirt more. He dragged his fingernails across his abdominal muscles, finding it stimulating. He began subtly writhing against his hand, making himself twitch as he moved his fingers along his lower stomach.

"Lower..."

Gohan giggled, biting his lip with anticipation. He obeyed, moving his hand down slowly, but completely avoided his crotch and gliding over his inner thigh instead.

"You're toying with me." Not that Cell didn't enjoy the way he was being tormented. He wanted more than anything to just go over there and help, even start doing it to himself, but he could already feel everything that Gohan was doing since he was connected to his mind. It was an exhilarating rush. He could see him smiling to himself. "You like to be teased?"

"Yeah..." he replied, half letting out a response to himself; he started pinching his inner thigh, nipping at it continuously with his finger and thumb as if he was trying to emulate something.

"Is this just another way of hurting yourself?" asked Cell, intrigued.

"Not exactly," he panted, feeling himself getting hotter and more into it. "Ow!" He didn't mean for that to come out, he was pinching a little too hard.

"What are you thinking about?"

"You... you're biting me," he said, gasping with every pinch, they seemed to hurt more then higher he went.

"Interesting. That's something new to try when I see you."

"Can't you just come here now?"

"No, as much as I want to."

Gohan finally moved to his hardened crotch and squeezed himself through his clothes, finally letting out a moan. He caressed himself more, watching his stomach muscles twitch with pleasure.

"Why do you insist on torturing yourself like this?"

"I like to be teased, remember?" He started to pant as he started rubbing himself.

"There's no need to push yourself, go for it. Besides, I don't want you to be _too_ satisfied before I get to you."

Gohan just took the message, untying his belt so that he could put his hand into his pants and carry on from there. He was moving quite quickly, getting so into that he didn't care what came flying out of his mouth.

"Hm... this is very enjoyable." Cell watched him arch his back against the tree, driving himself insane. Gohan purposely exaggerating his movements to please him - and was working a treat. "Keep doing that."

"Am I not tempting you?" he asked.

"You can tempt me with a mere look. There's nothing I want more than fuck you right now."

"Then why don't you?"

"Oh I will, don't worry."

Gohan was smiling, he was well over halfway there.

"Can you see?" he asked flirtatiously. He pulled down his pants slightly anyway exposing himself completely.

"That's much better." Gohan went all out, messing around with both his hands and getting more vocal every second. He attempted to swear, but it came out as more of a stutter. Cell was getting an unbelievable rush out of it. "You're getting closer... keep going."

"I'm going to - " He let out a loud shaky moan as he finally came; he closed his eyes as he emptied himself onto his bare stomach, his muscles twitched and he shuddered as he enjoyed the calmness that followed. He lay there against the tree lazily as he let his arms fall limp.

"Well this is really... something." He was half naked and covered in his own juices looking quite content. Cell felt everything, he couldn't believe that they never tried this before; he was lost for words at what he saw.

"Did you like it?" asked Gohan, knowing all too well that he did.

"Of course I did."

"How long until you get here?"

"About five hours. Just rest."

"No kiss?"

Cell laughed again. "Not just yet, I'm afraid."

"See you soon."

Gohan wiped his stomach clean with a nearby leaf before fixing his clothes. He quickly settled back down against the tree and closed his eyes before he could go back to his thoughts. For now, he was enjoying a blissful calm, relieved to have got through his latest crisis.

Cell could sense that he was fast asleep, he could no longer speak to him. He just lay back down to do the same, three hours should do it, and then he could prepare for the journey ahead.

* * *

 _"Please!"_

 _The man scrambled into the corner of the cave. The saiyan just stared at him coldly._

 _The man was already worn from the months of running away from his home, from everything he knew thanks to Frieza's soldiers. He'd survived fine on his own in the woods... until he ran into this... young man? A monster? He didn't know the difference anymore._

 _"Please, just let me go, you'll never see me again, I promise!"_

 _He attempted to make a run for it, attempting to dart past him, but he didn't count on the fists that made contact with his face, sending him crashing to the ground. He got up onto his knees in tears._

 _"How could you?!"_

 _Another punch, this one shattering his eye socket. He saw nothing but stars for a few seconds before the boy came into view again. He was about to say something else, but couldn't bring himself to. He got back up onto his knees and stared death in the face._

 _The next punch was much harder, sending his head right around, snapping his neck. His head was almost twisted clean off as he fell the the ground for the last time, eyes wide with terror and tears._

 _"Pathetic humans..." said Gohan._

* * *

Gohan's eyes shot open. That wasn't a nightmare... it was a memory.

"No... please no!" he muttered as he sat up. "I can't have..."

He could remember everything that happened in that moment, he remembered what every punch felt like, the sound of the man crying, begging him to stop. His saiyan half was killing innocent people... the one thing he feared more than anything else. He was turning into a monster. He only had two short memories of the eight days in which he was in control. What else had he been doing?

He'd never felt guilt like it, it hurt so much. His stomach turned so violently that he almost threw up. He began pulling at his hair to make it go away, but it wasn't working. He got onto his knees, scrambling through the dirt until he could find something he could use. He found a stone with a sharp edge, about the same length as his hand.

He'd now reached twenty-seven days, but he didn't care anymore. If anything, he deserved to be punished for this. He pulled off his left wrist band to reveal his scars; they looked a lot better since he stopped, but he needed to hurt himself, it was the only way he could bring himself to justice, he needed to suffer.

Gohan dragged the sharp edge of the rock across his wrist... and again... and again...

 **And there we have the DBZ version of phone sex... yeah...**

 **Feedback is appreciated!**

 **Please Review**


	5. Eggs

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Guess what... IT GOT WEIRDER!**

 **CHAPTER 5: EGGS**

"Where do you think you're going?"

Cell huffed and dropped his hand slightly from his forehead to see his creator stood behind him with a stern look on his face.

"I'm not staying here," he said.

"Where else are you going to go? You can't face Frieza by yourself, not when you've barely healed."

"I won't be by myself."

"Ah... you're going after the boy. The one who ran away and left you bleeding," growled Doctor Gero, feeling a particular hatred towards Gohan. Not only for what he did to Cell, but merely because he was the son of Goku.

"I can handle him," said Cell, smirking to himself.

"Clearly... isn't he the one who killed you in the first place?"

"Believe me, I've returned the favor many times over since," he argued, growing annoyed at the Doctor's interference.

"Who were you speaking to last night?"

"What?"

"Your brain activity was quite high, you were clearly talking to somebody quite far away."

Cell silently cursed to himself, he had no idea that the monitor would pick up anything like that, it was only telepathy after all.

"It was the boy wasn't it? You know where he is?" asked Doctor Gero, intrigued by the android's motives. Cell was feeling cornered, the Doctor was clearly as clever as he imagined.

"Yes. I'm going to find him."

"Do you seriously think he'll help you? I'd say according to the injuries he gave you that he wouldn't dream of it."

"You have no idea, old man," laughed Cell.

"Were you trying to convince him to join you last night?"

"If I was, do you seriously think that my brain activity would be that high by merely talking to him?"

"I was about to ask you about that. I don't need to know what kind of stimulation caused you to spike like that."

"So what? Is this the part where you tell me to stop? That's all a _huge_ mistake?" he mocked, almost emulating Goku and Piccolo's reaction when they first found out.

"Quite the contrary," said Doctor Gero. "It's ingenious. Seducing Goku's son? I don't know why I thought a personal attack wouldn't work better."

"They all already know, it's no big secret like it used to be."

"So it's been going on for a while, then?"

"More or less for a year now," said Cell, surprised that it'd lasted as long as it had so far.

"And they've done nothing to stop you?"

"What can they do? Everything that Gohan and I have done has been of his own free will," he said, deciding not to mention the one occasion when Gohan said no... and he forced him anyway. He always viewed it as teaching Gohan a harsh lesson, but part of him regretted doing it. Despite the fact the Gohan is still willingly sleeping with him after all this time, the rape continued to hang over them, though neither of them have mentioned it since.

"That must be painful for them to watch," laughed Doctor Gero. "Go to him, keep him under your thumb. It looks like you've done a good job on him anyway, he's completely broken, any good doctor can see that just by looking at him. I won't tell them where you are, don't worry about that, just remember to come back once a week."

Cell nodded, not underestimating his condition any longer. He teleported away, back to the initial plan. Little did he know what he was going to find...

* * *

The android appeared in the forest overlooking Satan City. The sun was apparently up, but the sky was still as dismal as ever, black, blue and occasionally red. Once he'd had enough of contemplating the weather, he looked around, trying to find Gohan, but he was nowhere to be found... yet he had to be. How else could he have got here without his ki signal?

He walked forward, coming out of the trees to the edge of the large hill overlooking the city - he looked down to find Gohan unconscious by the edge, threatening to roll off at any moment.

Cell grabbed him immediately, yanking him to safety. He knelt down, resting Gohan against his chest. As he looked down the the ground again, he saw blood splatters everywhere. Out of habit, he checked Gohan's left wrist. As expected, his efforts to distract the boy proved futile as he'd relapsed regardless during the night. Some of the cuts were in their usual place, but he seemed to be making up for the past twenty-seven days. Gohan never stopped, the cuts continued all the way up his forearm, finishing with two larger gashes on his upper arm finishing just below the scar on his left shoulder. Cell remembered that particular scar... he'd given it to Gohan himself five years ago during their battle.

Cell assumed that Gohan had passed out from the pain and blood loss at some point. He shook him slightly in an attempt to wake him. He wasn't going to die from this - this wasn't slow enough for the likes of him. He got a groan either way.

"You couldn't last a few more hours?"

"I can't..." he mumbled as he came round. Gohan sat himself up and turned to face Cell. "Why didn't you tell me?" Cell knew exactly what he was talking about, not expecting the memories to start returning to him so soon.

"You seriously think I'd tell you something like that while you were alone out here?"

"I killed a human being..." he cried. "Murdered him like he was some kind of rat!" Gohan noticed Cell avoiding eye contact with him, prompting him to feel worried. "He wasn't the only one was he?"

"No," said Cell honestly. He was willing to tell him everything, now he could physically stop him from doing anything stupid.

"How many?" he asked, horror all over his face. Cell was readying himself to go for him, he looked like he was preparing to throw himself off the hill. "HOW MANY?!"

"Nineteen."

Gohan was stunned into silence, he was shaking uncontrollable with shock and anger at himself.

"How could I do something like that?"

"Because it wasn't you," replied Cell. The android was secretly impressed by Gohan's killing spree, but decided to manipulate him for the time being, telling him what he needed to hear before he got so worked up that it would trigger another episode.

"Of course it was me!" he cried, staring at his quivering hands. Seeing his own blood on them instead of someone else's was giving him slight relief.

"It wasn't you. It was him," he repeated.

Gohan silenced himself, still in shock. He wasn't prepared for those memories to start coming back to him - he never wanted them back.

"I wish there was a way so that we didn't have to share. I just want him out of my head. I want my body back."

"You no longer own your body," laughed Cell, prompting Gohan to look at him confused. "I do."

Gohan managed a half smile at Cell's attempts to flirt with him, even though the android probably meant it. Oddly enough, he felt better than his body wasn't "his" anymore, then he wouldn't be responsible for what it did. That sad, twisted logic seemed to make more sense than anything else did at that moment.

* * *

"Where is the android?!" bellowed Cooler. "He's gone!"

"What?!" yelled Piccolo.

All the fighters were ready to go. Cooler found the lab empty when he went to fetch Cell, he couldn't sense him anywhere.

"He'll have gone after Gohan..." said Jeice. Now they were stuck.

"We need to make our way out now! We can't leave it any longer. And without the android, we can't get there straight away!"

"Why can't I teleport us?" asked Goku, wanting to get the battle over with as much as Cooler did; he just wanted to find his son.

"Frieza will sense you."

"But wouldn't he have sensed Cell?"

"He's an android, he can mask his power a lot better than you can," said Doctor Gero from one of his many computers.

"Haven't you seen him?" asked Krillin. "He was in your lab for like a week."

"No, I went in this morning to check his progress and he was gone," he lied.

"So we go on foot..." said Vegeta. "Track the dragon ball ourselves, and kill anyone who gets a hold of it before we do. It must be very well hidden if they haven't found it yet."

* * *

-Three weeks later-

The dragon ball was indeed proving difficult to find. Cell and Gohan had managed to get a round about location, spending their time searching the area. The place was teaming with soldiers, also trying to locate it. More often than not, they had to retreat back to their 'home' where they slept. Gohan was aware that Cell had to disappear for half an hour once a week, but even just half an hour by himself with those memories of the nineteen humans his saiyan half killed was proving too much. He'd been feeling very odd lately, and just assumed that the guilt was eating away at him.

Cell had noticed a change in him, his saiyan half had only resurfaced once in the past three weeks, but only for a few hours this time... to get some stuff out of his system. That was a particular night that Cell wasn't going to forget in a hurry, for good reason. Gohan's regular persona still hadn't recalled that night just yet, even though it was a week ago, still too haunted by all the others.

The new home they seemed to have set up for themselves was in fact Kame House. Abandoned on the same small island in the sea, it was small and familiar to Gohan, making it seem like the right place to be - and also not far from where the dragon ball was.

It was the middle of the night, Gohan lay on the couch staring at the blank TV. There was no TV anymore since the world pretty much ended. He lay there not moving for the past day and a half. He didn't feel right, he was more tired that usual. Maybe it had something to do with being alive, getting used to the fact that being tired and hungry were things that he had to deal with again; however, he just didn't have the will to.

"It's that time again isn't it?" said Cell as he shut the front door behind him.

"What?"

"That time where I ask you if you've eaten anything. And then you say no."

"I'm not hungry!" he said, sitting up.

"You need to eat to stay alive, as much it pains me to say it. I have to say, I'm surprised that you haven't lost any weight from starving yourself. It fell off you last time."

Cell's insensitive manner did lead Gohan to wonder this. But then his mind wandered back into its usual passive mode.

"So are you going to eat these?"

He held out a couple of eggs in his hand that he'd come across on the way back.

"Urgh..." mumbled Gohan, he started to feel uncomfortable at the thought of eating eggs.

"What? I thought people ate these things."

"They do."

"Don't you like them? Is there a traumatic experience attached to these too?" he mocked, tossing one of them in his left hand. Gohan began to feel nauseous at the thought. Yes, he was starving, but this didn't feel right. "Don't you fry them or something tedious like that? Human stomachs are obviously too weak and fragile to take them raw."

Cell was only really talking to himself, of course, but that last sentence suddenly made Gohan dart into the bathroom. He wondered what on earth was going on with him until he heard him retching. The android rolled his eyes and continued tossing one of the eggs into the air. It seemed to amuse him.

Nothing was really coming up to compensate for the amount of gagging he was doing over the toilet basin. There was nothing in his stomach apart from a bit of green bile, which was the first thing he coughed up a couple of minutes ago. He didn't know why the though of eggs made him feel this way, but he assumed that he was getting sick or run down. He was susceptible to viruses and illness again after all.

"Are you done?"

Gohan wasn't in the mood to talk right now. Whatever this was, he just wanted to sleep it off and try eating the eggs tomorrow... probably.

"Yeah, I'm going to take a shower."

Gohan assumed that Cell was just doing whatever he did when he was alone, prompting Gohan to turn on the water. He did need a shower, he hadn't had one for a few days since they were so busy looking for the dragon ball. Without the radar, they were as blind as the soldiers were with their approximate location.

He untied his belt, feeling slight relief from it, then removed his shirt. There was a deformity left in his belt where he usually tied it. He was confused as to why it was feeling tighter than usual. He hadn't eaten properly for weeks, surely he couldn't have gained weight...

Gohan looked in the mirror, though he hated to do so. Avoiding his face, he looked down to his stomach, it didn't feel any different from how it normally felt, but since he rarely looked at his reflection these days, he hadn't noticed any changes as much as he should have. He turned to the side when something caught his eye; his lower stomach was slightly rounded. At first, he assumed that he was bloating from not eating, but it was much lower down than it should be if it were that.

He pressed down on it, it felt firm. He wondered what the heck it was. It reminded him of his mother appeared just after the Cell Games when she was... _d_ _on't be stupid._ Gohan accidentally laughed at the thought, even thought it seemed to explain everything. But it was impossible... wasn't it? He pressed his hand down on it again, it was becoming more noticeable the more he did it. It felt exactly the same as his mother's did.

Gohan mentally laughed off his suspicions again, finally stepping into the shower. He debated that it was probably some kind of obstruction, or even a tumor - not that those things were any better than what he initially thought it looked like. Though he wasn't having any problems with his digestion... he just felt sick at the thought of eating. Either way, something was really wrong.

* * *

Gohan emerged from the shower half an hour later, not realising what time it was thanks to over thinking his little situation.

"What took you?" asked Cell, leaning against the wall opposite. Gohan picked up on his lustful mood instantly, he only took an interest in his everyday 'human' activities if he wanted something. Not that he minded, he could do with something to take his mind off things.

"You could have joined me if you really missed me that much," he replied with a smile.

"I would have but there's not enough room in there. You know how I like to throw you around..."

Cell pulled Gohan towards him in a lustful kiss. He untied his belt first, Gohan noticing the relief of losing it again. The way the android began kissing his neck soon distracted him again. But as soon as he started pulling at his shirt he pulled back, pushing him away,

"What's wrong?"

"Um.. nothing, it's stupid," said Gohan. Cell didn't believe him, proven by how Gohan flinched when Cell went for his shirt again.

"Come on, something's bothering you."

"I was just looking in the mirror and... I don't know. Something's just..."

"Are you talking about this?" asked Cell, placing his hand on the slight protrusion of Gohan's lower stomach.

"Yeah..."

"Just ignore it, it's nothing to be concerned about."

"Why, what is it?"

"You haven't sensed it?"

"Sensed what?!" cried Gohan, becoming worried about what exactly was causing it. Cell didn't look too concerned, but that didn't reassure Gohan at all, it only scared him further. Cell was still caressing it, noticing how much it had grown over the past week out of nothing.

"You only need to worry when the time comes."

"Will you just tell me what's happening?"

"Well, I can't really explain how it happened, if I've traced it back correctly, then it happened during your first heat a few weeks ago. That's the only way we could have possibly conceived anything."

"Conceived?" he repeated, his heart was beating so fast that it was making him dizzy. "You mean that I'm..."

"Like I said, it's nothing to be concerned about. We aren't compatible. It won't survive much longer."

 _I'm pregnant?!_ It didn't seem possible, but it most likely had something to do with his damned saiyan genetics. He wished that Vegeta was around to explain it all to him, but the thought of breaking that kind of news to someone like him made him cringe even more.

"How long have you known?" stuttered Gohan, still getting his head around it.

"A week or so. I noticed a second ki coming from you. And then when your saiyan side came out to play I noticed your stomach beginning to swell."

"Males can't bear children!"

"Apparently, saiyan males can..."

"How far am I..."

Gohan had so many questions, also wanting to just rip whatever it was out of him. This was too much.

"About five weeks, I think."

"I want it out..." he gasped, without even thinking.

"It'll die soon enough, it simply won't survive. Like I said, we aren't compatible."

"I need a drink..."

Gohan staggered towards the kitchen counter trying to take it all in. He rummaged through one of the cupboards to find an unopened bottle of liquor which he began to drink from tirelessly.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea on an empty stomach."

"I don't care!" he yelled angrily. "How do I even know what the fuck is growing inside me?!"

"Neither of us do. That's why its better this way."

"Just take it out. Whatever it is, get rid of it!"

"And how do you expect me to do that?"

"I don't care how you do it, I don't care if you kill me in the process. Just make it stop!"

"I can't. You were obviously brought back for a reason, so killing you right now would be pointless," said Cell. Gohan was angry and unnerved by how calm he was being about all this. "Besides, we'll have to wait until it's dead before I can take it out of you. Taking it out now regardless would also kill you."

"So what if it doesn't die?" asked Gohan, who still had many questions. "Do I just wait it out and give birth to one of those blue things? How would I even give birth?!" He turned back to the bottle to take the edge off before he started contemplating injuring himself.

"For one thing, those little 'blue things' I made during our fight were just miniature clones of myself rather than children. Second, you won't be giving birth because it'll die before it reaches that point."

"You seem so certain about that."

"Yes, I am. It's ki has already weakened significantly over the past few days."

"So it's just going to fade away like nothing happened? How long? Another few days?"

"I couldn't tell you," he answered.

Cell was still adjusting himself, he could barely believe that they were able to create this... thing. Whatever it would have turned out to be.

"Why is it showing so much if it was only a month ago?"

"Saiyan incubation time must differ to humans. And you're not showing nearly as much as you think you are, believe me."

"Well, that explains why me and my brothers were so early." Gohan drank more, ignoring that his stomach was beginning to ache from the drinking. He was distracted as he began to sense the very ki that Cell was talking about. It was tiny. "I think my mother would actually die of shock if she ever found out about this. That her gay whore of a son got himself knocked up by an android. It sounds even crazier out loud, doesn't it?"

"At least attempt to get some sleep, we're heading out again in a few hours for that dragon ball, and we _will_ find it this time."

Gohan's stomach suddenly contracted out of nowhere, causing him to throw up everything he just downed into the sink next to time.

"Urgh... I can't even get trashed properly."

"I told you that wasn't a good idea."

"And being _pregnant_ is?"

"Well we never could have predicted this would happen, could we?" Cell didn't know what else to say, other than keep reassuring him that it would be over soon anyway. "Go upstairs, and get some sleep."

"Stay with me?" said Gohan desperately. "I don't want to be left alone again."

"As you wish."

He wanted to go to sleep forever, never to wake up to remember what was happening to him. He wished that he could bring his saiyan side out and let him have control of his body until it all blew over, but he no longer had the ability to switch between his personalities they way he used to, it was out of his control. Now what?

 **Okay, I'm taking a big risk here, I've been playing with the idea for a while. It may or may not work out, but I guess there are ways to fix that with the writing later on... let's see where this goes. Feedback much appreciated!**

 **No, this isn't turning into a love story...**

 **Please Review!**


	6. The Last Dragon Ball

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Warning: Lemony bits**

 **CHAPTER 6: THE LAST DRAGON BALL**

-One week later-

Gohan awoke still hoping that it was all a bad dream, but when he moved his hand lower down himself to check, it was still there; the small, firm protrusion of his lower stomach. He hadn't looked in the mirror again since he first discovered it was there, however, it filled the palm of his hand a lot more than it did before - it was growing, whatever it was, and not disappearing like Cell initially told him it would.

"We're missing something. We must be..." said Cell, who had been awake for a while now, lying beside him on the bed in the single room upstairs. Gohan couldn't recall much from the night before since he was so exhausted by the time they got back. He was still in the android's arms, the very arms that had strangled and suffocated him in the past, yet he still couldn't bring himself to move away; in fact, he huddled towards him.

"Are you sure we've checked everywhere?" asked Gohan, closing his eyes again.

"I think so, that's why I'm sure there's something we're not getting here. We've been searching for weeks now. I'm surprised your friends haven't arrived here yet." That was an interesting point, so was the fact that Frieza's many soldiers dedicated to the specific location that they were looking still hadn't found it either. "Come on, you're supposedly smart, haven't you had any thoughts?"

"Hm..."

Gohan was too comfy to care, in fact it was the comfiest he'd been for a while since some pressure was released off his bladder in this position. Cell brought his hand up to caress his face; he enjoyed it when Gohan slept on him, it made him feel some sort of superiority. His eyes wandered down to the way Gohan's hand was placed protectively over his own stomach. He noticed Gohan doing it subconsciously a lot over the past few days, as if it was instinct for him to do so.

Cell removed his hand from Gohan's face and moved down the untie his belt, causing the boy to open his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to see," said Cell, getting through the knot with his fingers.

"Do you really have to?"

"It was me that put it in you."

Gohan sighed and took his own hand away, allowing Cell to open his shirt to reveal the tiny bump. The android placed his hand on it.

"It's grown," he said, getting a feel for it.

"You don't need to tell me, there's no more room in me for it."

Gohan sighed again as Cell continued poking around, watching his facial expression; he looked quite bemused by it. He didn't know where the next sudden urge came from, but he leaned closer, planting a kiss on the android's cheek. Cell stopped and looked at him, wondering where it came from, but was left confused when he did it a second time, this time staying there longer with his hand cupping his face.

"What was that?"

Gohan shrugged, lying back down and resting his head on Cell's arm. Cell was still feeling around his 'bump', fascinated by the tiny ki that melded against his hand.

"You done? I'd rather not be reminded that it's there."

"Just relax, and enjoy that this is the only excuse you have to be lazy," he remarked as Gohan began dozing off again. "Anyway, time to get back to it."

Cell went to sit up, prompting Gohan to pull him back towards him.

"Stay?" he said with a smile.

"When there's still a dragon ball to be found?"

Gohan began kissing his neck seductively, causing the android to roll his eyes and laugh quietly.

"I doubt a couple of hours is going to make a difference..." he whispered, staring at him strangely.

"It might."

He flopped back down onto the pillow, sighing. He didn't feel like going anywhere, he could have easily stayed there all day. In fact, most days it was a struggle to get out of bed altogether. He closed his shirt and tied his belt again, wanting to conceal his stomach again.

"Can't we just stay here and..." Gohan trailed off, nuzzling into his neck again.

"What's brought on this affectionate mood?"

"Why don't you stay and find out?"

"I have an idea..." said Cell, pulling Gohan on top of him forcibly. "Whoever finds that dragon ball first out of the two of us get's to call the shots tonight. You can be as nasty as you like."

"Yeah, if I find it first. What are you going to do to me if you find it?"

"Whatever I want... either way it's going to be fun isn't it?"

"Can I tie you up?"

"If you want to..."

Gohan couldn't help but laugh as he leaned down to kiss him. He didn't know why the prospect of getting his own way for one night spurred him to actually get out of bed, but it wasn't the only thing that would cause him to move.

He pulled back and pushed himself up slightly, only for a sudden wave to hit him out of nowhere.

"What is it?" asked Cell.

"I don't know.. I just feel... " Gohan's eyes widened as he suddenly turned white and made a run downstairs for the bathroom. As soon as he got there he vomited violently into the toilet.

Once he'd finished, his knees buckled, but he managed to pull himself up using the sink. His eyes immediately darted away from the mirror that he accidentally looked into. He didn't really want to see his 'post-vomit' look, or be reminded how pregnant he was, but the vomiting did that in itself anyway; it wasn't as frequent as his mother's was when she had morning sickness, but it was still unpleasant when it occurred. He however had no choice as he had to check his face for any left over residue.

Gohan hesitantly turned to the side to look for his bump, but it was nowhere to be seen with his clothes over it. He sighed with relief that it wasn't visible through his gi just yet. He was hoping that it would stay that way. While he was there he turned to the other side to inspect how his arm was healing after his relapse last month.

Luckily, the cuts he made up his forearm hadn't scarred at all, but the two larger ones on his upper arm were still slightly visible. He was praying that they wouldn't scar as well, since the skin on his wrists was permanently deformed; he'd accepted that now. It had been twenty-eight days since it happened, at least he'd beaten his last attempt so far.

* * *

They'd split up again, searching the same places as they always did. Gohan made his way down the narrow path through the trees of the large island they were on. He wondered whether the dragon ball was somewhere within the surrounding waters. That could be the next step in widening their search, but didn't know how they would be able to do that. Cell wasn't as durable as he used to be thanks to his condition, he required oxygen now and again to help him these days, he had no idea just how long he could hold his breath for without harming himself.

Gohan seemed to notice something this time; the weather was particularly volatile today, the wind seemed to rip through the trees, but every so often, he'd find spots where the wind didn't touch, as if he was indoors, yet everywhere else around him was still moving. There was definitely something else going on here.

He came across another 'hot spot' as he walked into an area containing a small pond. He'd seen it before, a shallow body of water with reeds sticking out of it, but the water wasn't reacting with the environment around it, it was still. Gohan had no idea why he thought that this might be a lead, but he threw a rock into it to see what would happen. Expecting to see it make contact with the ground visible under the water, it disappeared.

He knitted his eyebrows together; removing his hand that was protecting his stomach again, he got onto his knees by the pond, not caring that it instantly soaked his clothes as his knees sank into the mud. Supporting himself with one hand, he reached over with the other, plunging it into the water. He was mesmerized when it disappeared through the floor. He waved his hand around to feel that the area was dry, as if he'd come out on the other side of the world. Gohan decided to go for it - following his arm, he crawled into the pond, pushing his head under the water until he came out on the other side.

Gohan's head rose from the water again into a cave, it was a surreal experience, feeling that the rest of his body was still in that forest. He pushed himself through entirely, pulling himself out of the water and crawling into the cave. He was soaking wet through, but he got up again unsteadily to find that the cave was familiar. He wasn't on the other side of the world - he was back in Hell.

The 'hot spots' he kept finding were in fact gateways to the adjacent dimensions, anyone could walk from one world to another now that Hell, Earth and other dimensions were now pouring into one another. But this wasn't just any cave... it was the cave where he stayed during his death. The place where he cried himself to sleep a night when he first got there... the place where his relationship with Cell first began; he stared at the spot where it first happened, on the floor on the far side of the cave.

He walked further into the cave, closer to the entrance when something shiny caught his eye. Just by the entrance, there was the dragon ball! It must have been in the pond when the world began to change, making it fall through it into the cave. He ran over and picked it up immediately, holding it in both of his hands to check that it was real, that he wasn't going insane. Now they had five of the dragon balls.

Gohan made his way back into the cave towards the body of water that had leaked through the hot spot and began to crawl back through, keeping a tight hold on the dragon ball.

* * *

They appeared back at Kame House in the bedroom. Gohan couldn't believe after a month of searching that he had the last dragon ball in his hand.

"So what do we do with this now?" asked Gohan.

"We'll take it back to the lab so that it can be protected with the other four... tomorrow," said Cell with a smirk.

"So, does our little wager still stand?"

"Since when do I go back on my word?" he said, actually feeling curious about being the submissive one.

"Lie down then..."

Cell looked him up and down before going to do so as Gohan put the dragon ball on the bedside table. The android was propped up on his elbows waiting for whatever was going to happen next. Gohan then climbed on top of him, feeling the android shudder at the feeling of his damp clothes.

"You're still soaking," he said.

"That a bad thing?"

"Not at all, actually..."

Cell particularly enjoyed staring at his wet chest before Gohan leaned down to kiss him slowly, feeling the cold water from his hair drip onto his face and neck. It wasn't long before Gohan felt hands roaming his clothed body curiously. As he continued to kiss him playfully, Gohan went to untie his own belt with one hand; he sat up to take it off entirely before a twisted smile appeared on his lips.

"Give me your hands," he said. Cell swallowed whatever instincts he had to resist and surrendered his hands over, removing them from Gohan's hips. He watched as Gohan wrapped the red belt tightly around his wrists, securing them together, before forcing them over his head so that he could fasten them to the bed frame. He deliberately lay on top of him as he did, feeling Cell's lips caressing his collarbone, though the android didn't act upon it, pushing himself to resist as much as he could.

Gohan pushed himself backwards so that he could kiss him again, this time mostly with his tongue. He could feel Cell grinding up against him already. Gohan moved his hand down Cell's body, running his fingers along the shell that contained him. Gohan merely brushed their lips together to tease him a little more, pressing down firmly on the shell to feel something pressing against it. He got a slight reaction from Cell, who gasped against his lips.

"Hard already?" he whispered arrogantly. Gohan reached further under to unsheathe him, taking the hardened length into his hand. He moved down to his neck and began nipping at his white skin. He started to pump faster, satisfied when he started to get a reaction; various silent moans started to escape from the android's mouth as his body twitched every few seconds. Gohan suddenly bit down so hard that he broke through his skin, earning a grunt; if Cell had use of his hands he would have given it back twice as hard. Gohan sat up, still pumping vigorously with one hand, the other gripping onto his shirt.

"Want me to take it off?" he asked, prompting the android to open his eyes. "Do you?"

"Yes..." Gohan removed his shirt slowly, giving Cell as rather pleasing view. "All of it..." The saiyan laughed, getting off Cell and standing up to remove his pants. He wasted no time getting back on top of him, his hand resuming where it left off. Cell closed his eyes again, enjoying every sensation. He felt him move on top of him, but didn't expect something warm and moist suddenly engulf him. He wondered what was happening until he was greeted by Gohan's sinful tongue.

Gohan was getting immense enjoyment from the noises he was hearing, he had to lean on Cell's hips completely to keep him still so that he could continue to torment him, licking and sucking gently. He moved his hand out of the way after a few minutes, he took the now pulsing member into his mouth entirely, bobbing his head up and down rhythmically, earning himself more explicit noises from the receiving end of his torture. As soon as he knew that Cell was about to climax, he stopped immediately, lifting himself back up again.

"I hate you..." he stuttered, his breathing ragged and his body shuddering.

"You love it," said Gohan, happy that he'd just done exactly what Cell had done to him on several occasions. He moved further up him, straddling his upper waist.

"What are you doing?"

"I want you to watch me again," he said, grabbing onto himself. He'd moved further up so that Cell could see exactly what he was doing... and so that he couldn't grind up against him. Gohan began moving his hand up and down himself, though he was already half way there anyway after everything else that had just occurred. Cell bit his lip, trying to ignore his aching crotch which he had no way of satisfying, but also thoroughly enjoying the show being put on right in front of him as Gohan became louder and his body seemed to be tensing.

Gohan felt that familiar tugging sensation in his groin, letting himself be heard as he came, most of it landing on Cell's neckline. Gohan laughed to himself as he calmed down again, his cheeks rosy from his recent climax. He pushed back and leaned down again, licking any residue off his neck, as well as biting him when he had the chance. Goahn relaxed on top of him lazily, letting all of his weight fall onto him, not that it bothered someone of Cell's strength.

"How was that?" he asked, plating a kiss on his lips.

"You're far from finished, you don't fool me," said Cell, silently going insane from Gohan's body pressing against his still hardened length. Gohan reached down and lifted himself up slightly, pushing Cell's member back and positioning himself.

"I'll let you start, since you've been good."

Cell didn't waste anytime at all, slowly pushing himself up into Gohan, who stayed firmly where he was, gripping onto the sheets. Gohan pushed himself back up again, putting all of his weight down, completely impaling himself. He started grinding downwards at first, gradually becoming more enthusiastic until he was fully bouncing up and down on him. Cell closed his eyes again after watching Gohan for a while, both of them becoming louder. Cell tried to stay as still as possible, but it was proving difficult, he was close to tearing himself out of his confinements, but resisted as he compensated by grinding his hips upward, which in turn just drove Gohan crazy.

Gohan gave a few more bruising thrusts until Cell came at last. He remained where he was to let him finish completely, but Gohan was also on the edge. He reached over to release the knot which bound Cell's hands to the bed, but still kept his hands tied together. He got off him and moved to the side as Cell shakily sat himself up ready to receive Gohan into his mouth. With his hands tied, he had no way of holding him back; Gohan held onto the bed frame as he carried on thrusting into his mouth until he finished a second time. Gohan got off him again, collapsing onto his back beside him; he was panting with his eyes closed, enjoying how relaxed he was.

"You going to untie me before you fall asleep?" asked Cell, still sat up with his hands bound in front of him. "I wouldn't want to ruin the _only_ belt you have."

"I'm tempted to just leave you like that, to be honest," he answered, lazily opening his eyes.

"Well, if you do, I won't be responsible for my actions when I break free."

Gohan laughed, rolling onto his front to untie him. Cell took his hands back, rubbing his wrists since the cloth had cut into his skin. No matter, they'd heal themselves over night. Cell settled down again, sliding down so that Gohan could lie on him. Though he didn't let on, he could feel Gohan's belly start to press against him. He reached round the table, taking the dragon ball into his hand. He'd never held one before.

Gohan just left him to it, staring out of the window into the eerie night sky before he finally fell asleep.

* * *

Cell was in that situation again where he closed his eyes for merely a second and then woke up to find that it was morning again. He still had the dragon ball in his hand, but noticed that the other had was holding something damp. Putting the dragon ball down on the table, he turned to see Gohan huddled up to him, shaking and sweating.

"Gohan?"

"Hm..."

He wasn't really responding, completely limp and sluggish. The bed sheets were drenched, so he must have been progressively getting worse over night. Cell could feel just how feverish he was by just having his arm around him. He sat up slightly, rolling Gohan onto his back so that he could listen to his breathing, which was uneven and shallow.

"Great..."

Cell didn't know what to do, but it wasn't something that Gohan would be able to sleep off if he wasn't breathing properly. His pulse felt too fast too. Then the android had an idea, since he was going back to the lab anyway with the dragon ball. The only obstacle now was getting the incredibly sick saiyan dressed appropriately. He grabbed his clothes from off the floor and dragged Gohan into a sitting position.

"What's happening?" he slurred, limply leaning on Cell as his shirt went on.

"You're sick, help me out."

Gohan managed to stand up aided to fix his pants, but fell forwards as Cell tied his belt.

"Where are we going?"

"To someone who can heal you."

* * *

Doctor Gero could hear someone approaching his lab, in which he was just finishing something new off. The door opened.

"I wasn't expecting you until later for your treatment," he said before turning round. "What on earth..."

Cell was just about keeping Gohan on his feet, but the boy looked like he was going to fall again at any moment.

"Over here," he said, pointing at the bed at the other end of the room. Cell managed to drag him over, helping him onto the bed; Gohan seemed to give up altogether once his head hit the pillow. "What happened?"

"He woke up like that. You seem to know more about human health more than I do."

"Indeed, but he'd not entirely human is he?"

Doctor Gero check his eyes and his temperature, Gohan just lay their shuddering, seemingly unaware of his surroundings.

"He's very dehydrated for a start. Has he been eating and drinking?"

"Not really."

He went into one of his cabinets, fishing through them until he pulled out a bag of fluids and a cannula. As soon as he hooked him up to that and a monitor, he took Cell to one side.

"You realise I wouldn't have helped him in different circumstances, but he's obviously going to play a pivotal role in this battle."

"You've studied the saiyans for years haven't you?" said Cell after a long pause, hoping that he wasn't going to regret what he was about to say.

"Yes, why? Is there something else you aren't telling me?"

"He's pregnant."

"He's what?!" Doctor Gero turned to look at Gohan, who had long since passed out.

"I was hoping you'd have an explanation..."

"Well, from my studies I've managed to find that saiyan males can bear children. It was necessary for them. How far into it is he?"

"About six weeks or so."

"Saiyan pregnancies last about twenty-eight to thirty weeks."

"I've reassured him that it will die whatever happens. Anything conceived by anyone as incompatible as us surely won't survive much longer."

"Cell, the fact that you've conceived at all means that you _are_ compatible. You have the ability to reproduce, and you can adapt to any of the genetics depending on whoever you conceive with. Whatever is inside the boy is either a human or a saiyan. And the fact that his body is reacting this way only means that he's simply adjusting to the pregnancy."

"So you're saying that it's going to live?"

"Most likely, it will. Despite what we're seeing now, the boy will become more durable as his instincts will become stronger."

"Can't we just kill it?" said Cell, not feeling anything at all for his 'child'.

"We can't get rid of it without killing him, I don't know the proper anatomy of a pregnant male."

Doctor Gero simply went back to what he was initially working on and brought it over.

"What's that for?" asked the android as his creator held out a small grey bag to him. It was similar to the ones that held the sensu beans.

"It's to keep the dragon ball in."

"Why can't we just keep it here?" he quizzed. "The dragon balls that are here have been safe haven't they?" Doctor Gero had in fact been keeping them under a glass dome in the other room. The glass was specially made to block the electro-magnetic pulse that radiated from them.

"And what if Frieza finds a way past it? Keeping all of the dragon balls in one place would be suicide. At least keep it in this bag so that any signals are blocked. The brat can keep it tied to him."

Cell took the bag and placed the dragon ball in it before sealing it tight, paranoid that they could have been followed since it had been exposed for the last few hours. The best thing for it was to wait until Gohan was strong enough to keep moving; Frieza was definitely going to chase them for it if he ever found out.

He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when the door went, he instantly got ready to fight but was shocked to find who was standing in front of him. Doctor Gero turned round to sigh with relief at the sight of his creation.

"Good to see that you're functioning again, Android 16."

 **Please Review! Need more reviews!**


	7. Parasite

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Pretty dark chapter ahead.**

 **Thank you so much for all the reviews and feedback! It really does inspire me to keep writing :)**

 **And by the way, did I mention DARK!**

 **CHAPTER 7: PARASITE**

 _-Flashback-_

 _Gohan managed to sneak back into the house from the window. Another late night flight around the area to clear his head didn't go as well this time, he still felt sad and angry. He didn't understand why. As soon as he closed his window again, he turned to find that his door was open - someone had been in his room, his mother will have known that he'd gone missing for the night._

 _He contemplated whether to just go to bed or confront her now to get it over with. The fact that he could hear his eight month old brother crying told him that she was still awake. Gohan walked into his mother's room, where she was pacing up and down holding a sobbing Goten, when he was met by an angry stare. He was in trouble... again._

 _-End Flashback-_

* * *

Cell was getting bored. They'd been stuck in the lab for a day or so, waiting for Gohan to recover, but he hadn't made much progress yet. There was nothing Doctor Gero could do to help and just let nature run it's course. Gohan's body seemed to be reacting to his pregnancy, thinking that it was a parasite, so his immune system was currently locked in a battle with it. Nobody knew whether he'd still be pregnant after it or not.

After staring him down for what seemed like hours, Android 16 had gone off to help Doctor Gero with some other projects to help with the upcoming war, leaving Cell alone by the lab door, contemplating going in. He'd been left alone with his thoughts, which was a bad idea. He wanted to torture him more, especially since Gohan's saiyan half had been so cowardly, hiding away inside Gohan's head to avoid what was coming to him. Cell still hadn't repaid him for beating him half to death last month. That coupled with boredom only fueled his never ending desire to hurt him.

He opened the door to find him sleeping on the other end of the room on a bed, still hooked up to some fluids to keep up his strength. Cell locked the door with the switch on the handle rather than with the mechanism on the wall - that way, he wouldn't be disturbed.

Cell watched him sleep for a few minutes. He was no longer sweating as much, but he still seemed a little delirious the last time he was awake, which was only a couple of hours ago. He took the opportunity, seeing how far he could push what he was about to do without breaking him. Gohan was lying on his back, his head facing away from Cell, who gently moved some of his hair out of his face before moving to caress his skin, his hand drifting from his face to his neck and shoulder. He didn't stir at all, prompting the android to quietly shift around to the end of the bed.

Gohan's body seemed to twitch out of its slumber when he felt the bed suddenly dip under his leg as if someone was leaning on it. He slowly opened his eyes slightly, everything was still a little fuzzy but when he turned his head to the center, he found that Cell was on top of him.

"What are you doing?" he whispered, still so weak that he could barely speak. He began to feel nervous when Cell began moving closer, brushing their lips together and taking his face into one of his hands to prevent him from turning away. "What's going on?"

"Ssh, I'm not going to hurt you,"he lied, as Gohan stared up at him fearfully through his half-open eyes. Cell pushed his legs apart to settle between them, causing Gohan to panic and trying hopelessly to push him off, but he could still barely open his eyes, his entire body felt useless.

"No... don't!"

"I won't hurt you," repeated Cell, once again resorting to caressing his face in a comforting manner. He had no intentions of being violent, that's what backfired the last time. "I just want to be close to you."

He kissed him tenderly, though Gohan didn't really respond, still confused by what was happening and why he felt so exhausted. Cell curled his arms under him and held him close, which seemed to calm him down. He was just harmlessly being held. Cell felt him relax underneath him, feeling that he was winning him over when Gohan found enough strength to raise his hands to place them on his shoulders in a hesitant compliance.

They stayed there for a good ten minutes, Cell moving his hands slowly up and down his back before he felt like he could move on. He moved one of his hands lower, placing it on his buttocks. He didn't receive any kind of reaction, noticing that he was drifting off to sleep again. He started squeezing it in his hand, still not much of a reaction from him. He shifted his hand in between his legs, groping him inappropriately until Gohan noticed that something was going on.

Cell smiled evilly; it was like watching a dog chase its own tail. Gohan was so confused, stuck between wanting to wake up and just letting it happen. He didn't know whether it was really happening or if he was hallucinating. And that's when the fever started to remind Gohan that it was still there, he was so busy trying to fight it off that he didn't notice what Cell was doing to him. He felt his clothes being pulled slightly, shaking from both the fever and fear of not knowing what was going to happen to him.

Cell pulled at his pants until there was enough access for him. After lubricating himself he leaned over him again, taking him in his arms and feeling him shudder. His face was already filled with pain due to his body beginning another cycle of fighting. Gohan miraculously found some shred of reality again when he felt Cell pushing against him.

"Stop... I don't want to..."

Cell simply hushed him again, holding him close as he slowly entered him, causing Gohan to gasp loudly as he seemed to feel everything at once. He tensed up until Cell was buried inside him completely; Cell didn't intend to hurt him, but was partly glad that he did. It wasn't long until he started moving. Gohan brought his hand up to Cell's shoulder, it seemed just as confused as the rest of him did; one minute it was gripping onto him, the next it was attempting to push him away,

"Please stop..." he whimpered, still trying to push Cell off him; the android seemed to find pleasure in the fact that he was trying to struggle free despite being so sick that he could barely open his eyes. At the same time, he was moaning as if he was enjoying it. Gohan was beginning to respond to him as he went faster, but at the same time, it felt wrong and unwelcome. He began feeling flustered and turned on by it, but he was still trying to push him off.

"You want this..."

Gohan tried to ignore the android on top of him hissing into his ear as he carried on thrusting into him. He wasn't sure whether he wanted it or not; his body seemed to, but his mind said otherwise; it was also debating whether this was all a dream or some kind of mirage to make him give up fighting altogether, it couldn't be real.

"Stop it-" Gohan was cut off by another moan which seemed to have come from his own mouth, though it felt like it came from someone else's. Then followed another. Cell started biting and licking his neck as he turned to the side to get away. As Cell got more enthusiastic, Gohan shut his eyes tighter as his thrusts got more unforgiving, causing the skin on his thighs and buttocks start to sting.

Gohan was still trying to fight everything off at once, constantly arguing with himself as it happened. He noticed that Cell wasn't making any effort to hold him down, nor was Gohan making much of an attempt to push him away, but that was because he was too weak to move. _Does that mean that it's not really happening? Am I dreaming? Did I ask for this?_ Gohan was brought back out of his inner dispute by a hand diving into his pants.

"Don't!" he gasped quietly, still not having much strength to scream. His protests were replaced by another moan as Cell picked up the pace, pounding him harder as well as pumping him quickly. Gohan suddenly forgot everything that he was supposed to be doing as he got closer, his current state of mind turned primitive, wanting to finish more than anything, yet he wanted him to stop. He wanted to scream but nothing came out, there was something still holding him back from just enjoying these feelings like he normally would - that nagging feeling that something was horribly wrong about it.

Cell was satisfied with the sounds he got from Gohan as he spilling into his hand. Gohan's body gave up completely, his arms fell to the bed with a quiet thud. Cell smirked as he steadily started thrusting again, making Gohan's skin crawl. Cell lay on top of him, burying his face into Gohan's neck, kissing him softly.

"Get off me..." he whispered weakly, still convinced that something was amiss. "Please stop it..."

"I love when you beg."

"No..." Gohan tried to sit up with all of his strength but Cell only had to give him a slight nudge to make fall back down again.

"Just lie still and enjoy it... I wouldn't want to have to hold you down."

Before Gohan could attempt to protest again, Cell moved his hands down, gripping onto his hips and carrying on where he left off, pounding him hard, it was hurting him horribly. Gohan couldn't help the noises escaping from his lips, but they were sounding more like whimpers as tears started to leave his eyes.

"No!"

He turned his head away, feeling his ear twitch as Cell began to moan into it, occasionally grunting as he prepared to finish. Cell bit into his neck harshly, experiencing a fulfilling orgasm as he dug his hands into Gohan's hips to make sure that he was as deep inside him as possible.

Gohan hissed when Cell released the skin that was caught painfully between Cell's teeth, leaving a bright purple mark behind. He also released his hips from his bruising grip and pulled out of him, fixing his clothes until it looked as if nothing happened. He leaned over, bringing Gohan's head to the center with his hand before kissing him tenderly.

"Go back to sleep."

"Stop... you're hurting me!"

Gohan was still delirious, yet still convinced that Cell wasn't finished, so much that he was still crying to himself even with the fever pulling him away from everything that was real. He had his eyes shut tight, waiting for it to happen all over again.

"It was your fault. It's always your fault. You're always just asking for me to hurt you."

Gohan seemed to revert back into himself, trying to fight off the fever again. Cell just got up and left him there. There was plenty of time to mess with his head when he was better... that was if he even remembered what just happened at all.

* * *

 _-Flashback-_

 _He didn't know why that felt so good. He hadn't felt such relief in a long, long time. In fact, he hadn't felt anything at all since the day his father said that he wasn't coming back._

 _Gohan watched the blood leak from his wrist from the cut he made with an old razor blade he found in the bathroom. He was sat on his bed, the door barricaded by his desk chair._

 _He'd studied psychology during the hours he spent in his room, recently coming across depression and self harm; it fascinated him. He pretty much self diagnosed himself from what he was reading for his school work. He'd been feeling so sad since his father left him, since he let himself become that monster that caused all of it to happen in the first place. He was left as the 'man of the house' to take care of his mother, little did Goku know that it would include looking after a baby too. What was Gohan supposed to do? He was only twelve years old._

 _-End Flashback-_

* * *

Gohan finally woke up properly fourteen hours later. No more fever and no more pain. In fact he was feeling quite well rested. However, his eyes felt sticky and heavy; he went to rub his eyes only to find that his cheeks were slightly wet, as if he'd been crying in his sleep.

"Ah, I see that all of your vitals are normal again," said Doctor Gero.

"What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

"Um... I was at Master Roshi's... and then I was here... that's it, really."

"You had a reaction to your pregnancy," he said bluntly.

"Oh... that," sighed Gohan, still trying to pretend that it wasn't happening.

"To be specific, your body seemed to believe that there was a parasite inside you and your body was attacking itself."

"Parasite? Sounds about right," mumbled Gohan heartlessly.

"I was just about to check whether it survived or not."

Gohan looked at him for the first time, not sure how he felt about that. He brought over a small handheld scanner.

"Lift up your shirt."

Gohan did so, revealing his tiny bump for the first time to someone other than Cell. Even Doctor Gero seemed unnerved by it. He placed the small scanner onto his stomach while he looked through the small screen in his hand. Gohan just lay there until he heard a fast paced beeping.

"It's alive. And sounds strong."

Gohan couldn't help but feel disappointed by the news. But he felt guilty for thinking like that about what would technically be his child.

* * *

 _-Flashback-_

 _Time seemed to pass quickly, it was safe to say that Gohan had experienced some dark times in his life; he'd seen what no child should see, death all around him. The world was always in danger until he defeated Cell. But he was fourteen now, a teenager who should have been worrying about school, pimples and impressing girls, and the world was safe for the time being, what was stopping him from having that normal life that he always craved?_

 _Nothing seemed to be bringing him out of his downward spiral, he felt that little bit worse every single day. He never told his mother how he felt, not wanting to cause her any worry, especially when she had Goten to look after, and he was a handful at the best of times just like Goku was. But he couldn't help getting away whenever he could, especially in the dead of night when he couldn't sleep._

 _He went to a different city this time, using his speed to his advantage to steal from the nearest corner store like he always did. The woman from the last store he took from was starting to recognise him; he wore a dark green long sleeved shirt and jeans to blend in when everyone else. Gohan settled into a dark alley, taking the small bottle of liquor from under his shirt. It tasted horrible and burned him all the way down as usual but he began to drink from it regardless. From the corner, somebody was watching him..._

 _-End Flashback-_

* * *

"Finally, I was getting bored," said Cell as Gohan emerged from the lab. He looked a lot better than he did before. "Tie this on you." Cell threw the bag at him. Gohan was confused when he caught it, feeling that it was the dragon ball that was inside it.

"Oh, we're taking it with us?" he asked, securing it to himself.

"We are. You up for tormenting Frieza from a distance?"

"As I'll ever be."

Gohan looked at Cell after securing the bag tightly; something was wrong. He didn't know why he was suddenly overcome with a chilling fear.

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing..." he stuttered. _Why am I scared? I'm not scared of him... I'm not!_ Gohan thought that he'd got over it; he admitted that he was scared of him once, but since he started to feel like he loved him, he wasn't anymore - until now. He couldn't put his finger on what felt so wrong.

Cell was enjoying every second, finally getting his own back on the boy, but also drawing out that forgotten fear again and engraving it into his subconscious. Hopefully it was going to stay there this time, though he did relish the prospect of doing it again.

"You're a terrible liar," said Cell, like he always did whenever Gohan attempted to lie. It was always written all over his face whenever he tried. Cell reached out to him; he'd barely tapped him on the shoulder when Gohan flinched, standing back.

"Don't touch me!"

"Where has all this suddenly come from?"

"Just don't touch me!"

"Why not? I'm not going to hurt you."

Before Gohan could think hard about where he'd heard that before recently, Android 16 walked up to them.

"Android 16?! What else have I missed?" said Gohan, mostly glad that he wasn't left alone with Cell. Something was still nagging at him to run.

"It's good to see you are okay, Gohan," said Android 16, looking over how much Gohan had changed since he last saw him... just before Cell's foot came crashing down onto his head. "Doctor Gero has assigned me to join you."

"Oh, wonderful," said Cell sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Well we'll mostly be outdoors on our travels, so try not to rust while we're out there, or else I might have to put you out of your misery - again." Cell shot him an evil grin before heading off towards the entrance to the base; Gohan didn't remember a thing, except the feeling of sheer terror connected to him - his plan worked perfectly.

"Did he really ask you to go with us?" asked Gohan, breathing a sigh of relief as Cell left the room.

"Yes... and no. You aren't safe with Cell. I don't trust him," said Android 16.

"Why would you? I never have."

* * *

 _-Flashback-_

 _Gohan followed him into a grotty apartment which was dimly lit by broken lamps and candles. Everyone in there seemed to be just a little older than himself, as was the boy who led him inside. Gohan felt slightly drunk, the liquor he drank earlier had started going to his head. He had no idea who these people were, but anything seemed better than being alone._

 _He was led into the back room, where a man sat on the manky sofa with the old cracked television blaring out in the background._

 _"Who is this?" he asked, not looking at them. The man looked to be in his twenties, with a shaved head and scruffy clothing, but the boy that led Gohan there seemed intimidated by him._

 _"He was drinking alone outside," said the boy eagerly, as if he was after something. The man finally looked up, fixing his eyes on Gohan. Gohan seemed to start swaying a little as he began to feel the affects of the alcohol._

 _"Leave us."_

 _The boy seemed disappointed, he left the room anyway, leaving Gohan alone with this stranger._

 _"Why were you by yourself?"_

 _Gohan shrugged, the man noticing how sad and tired he looked, as well as drunk._

 _"How old are you?"_

 _"Eighteen," he lied, not wanting to be treated like a child anymore. He was never allowed to be a child unless it suited someone else. The man was easily fooled, since Gohan was well built and more developed than a regular human teenager of fourteen._

 _"Sit down," he said merrily, gesturing at him to join him on the sofa. Gohan did so, mostly because he was starting to feel dizzy._

 _"You shouldn't be by yourself at this time around here. I'm glad he brought you. Why were you drinking out in the street?"_

 _"I feel sad," croaked Gohan, still staring at the floor. That was the first time he'd ever told anybody how he really felt._

 _"I may have just the thing."_

 _The man reached over to a bag at the end of the table. Gohan watched him as he poured the white substance onto the table in front of them into neat lines; he didn't have to be smart to realise what it was, but at the same time, he didn't care. He just wanted to stop feeling sad._

 _"You done this before?"_

 _Gohan shook his head as he watched him snort the first line before handing the rolled up piece of paper to him. He hesitantly followed his lead and took the second line. He raised his head too quickly afterwards, feeling the affects of the alcohol and the cocaine at once. He felt better, no longer depressed, every little thing started to seem interesting, especially the various indentations in the old coffee table._

 _"Is that better?"_

 _Gohan closed his eyes, laughing to himself about nothing, not noticing that the man was moving closer, caressing his face. He finally opened his eyes again, seeing him right in his face, and still moving closer. He didn't know whether it was the drugs flowing through him or not, but he wanted something to happen, and it did when the man finally kissed him. Gohan didn't know what he was doing, but soon started get the hang of it, never having kissed anyone before._

 _Gohan circled his arms around the man's neck, letting his tongue invade his mouth; this was the first spark of life that he'd felt in a long time. He got carried away, pushing the man onto his back and deepening the kiss. The man suddenly pulled apart smiling._

 _"Let me just get something," he said, easing Gohan upright again. He could see that Gohan's eyes were like glass, his pupils were pinpoint, indicating that he was still high._

 _The man was unaware of Gohan's intelligence, easily fooled by how innocent he looked. Gohan knew exactly what he was after, watching him reach into his bag for a condom, where he caught sight of more small bags of cocaine; he was likely dishing them out to young people in exchange for sex. Gohan only lied to him about his age to indulge him - the man knew full well that he was a lot younger than eighteen._

 _It all happened in a split second. The man was unconscious, most of his teeth missing and scattered all over the floor. Gohan had long since left - along with the drugs. It looked like the darker times in his life were only just beginning..._

 _-End Flashback-_

* * *

Gohan had been rubbing his stomach for a while, he'd only just noticed after snapping out of his endless stare off the edge of the cliff they were on which overlooked the sea. He didn't want to be alone, but couldn't help but feel uneasy when he was around Cell at the moment. He just put it down to the changes in his hormone levels thanks to his pregnancy, but he couldn't put his finger on what felt off. He jumped when he heard a twig snap behind him, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Android 16 stood there, a squirrel perched on his shoulder.

"Gohan, are you okay?" he asked, sensing Gohan's frustration as if he didn't know the answer.

"Better than I was," he answered. "I'm just glad you're here."

"I'm happy that my presence is putting you at ease. You seem sad," said the giant, sitting on a boulder opposite him.

"A lot's happened."

"Why are you choosing to be with Cell and not your family?"

"It's just easier. This way I don't have to face them with... this," he said, gesturing to his stomach.

"There's a second ki coming from you -"

"I'm pregnant... it sounds even weirder just saying it."

"I am aware of saiyan methods of breeding," said Android 16. "You fear that they will reject you, so instead, you are hiding here with him."

"We're kind of... I don't know, really."

"You can't raise a child out here by yourself, especially around Cell."

"That's the problem, the child _is_ Cell's," he said quickly. He expected some kind of reaction from Android 16, but he remained the same, calm as ever. "This is usually the part where everybody tells me what a huge mistake I've made."

"I am not here to judge you, Gohan. I probably can't help you, or protect you against him. But I can listen to you if you need somebody to talk to."

"I'm scared..." he admitted. He was scared of Cell, Frieza and whatever else was coming; but he was more scared of this child than all of those things combined.

"All you can do right now, is focus on why we are out here. Everything else will start to unfold. You can't blame yourself for the state of the world."

* * *

The fighters had finally reached Papaya Island, where the World Martial Arts Tournament arena was, and where their families were hiding out. Most of them were still injured.

The Ginyu Force carried Vegeta and Piccolo inside, where they were greeted by Bulma and Master Roshi.

"It's been almost two months! We can't find the dragon ball on our radar anymore. Please tell me you have it!" said Bulma, tending to Vegeta's wounded ribs.

"We don't, Frieza and his men attacked us, we barely got away," growled Piccolo through the pain of his own wounds. Master Roshi noticed that there were people missing.

"Where are - "

"Frieza has them," coughed Vegeta. "He's captured Kakarot... and Trunks. He's holding them prisoner."

 **Please Review!**


	8. Nothing

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 8: NOTHING**

"Focus!"

Gohan couldn't breathe. His chest felt like it was being crushed into pieces, his heart was pounding painfully fast as if it was going to explode. If he didn't know any better, he'd have thought that he was having a heart attack - except he'd had this many times before. His latest panic attack seemed to hit him out of nowhere. The past twenty minutes felt like hours, but the only person around that knew how to help him through it was Cell.

Gohan tried to control his breathing, it was getting easier again. He was gripping onto Cell's shoulders for dear life as if he was trying to anchor himself to reality, like he was going to just float away if he even thought about letting go. Cell had his hands on top of Gohan's, which seemed to help him. All Android 16 could do was watch; he knew what a panic attack was, he just didn't know how to deal with them.

"Is that better?"

"Yeah..." panted Gohan, now breathing steadily again. "Sorry..."

"Forget about it, we have to keep moving."

Cell was as cold as ever towards him, but he was used to it. Gohan sighed with some of his new found air and carried on walking towards the coast of the island they slept on.

"Are we actually going anywhere? I can't help but feel that we're aimlessly wandering the planet," huffed Cell as he leaned against one of the many palm trees. Gohan couldn't help but agree, it felt like they were getting nowhere; they'd been endlessly roaming islands for the past two weeks. Android 16 stopped as well, looking back at them.

"Do you have any other suggestions?"

"What about the others?" asked Gohan.

"They're probably as lost as we are if they haven't bothered coming to find you," said Cell. Gohan shot him a dirty look.

"Not them," he said. "What about where my mother is? At least we'll be around people that know what's going on."

"You have a point," said Android 16.

* * *

Trunks' eyes flickered open again. He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious for this time. He could tell by the dead muscles in his neck that he'd been sedated yet again recently; they were only giving him smaller doses this time so that he would stay alive as he was tortured. He had no idea where Goku was being held, but kept counting the days that went by, roughly estimating that seventeen days had passed since his capture.

He was inside his cell again, probably thrown back in there once he'd passed out. He shakily pushed himself up onto his knees, seeing his blood all over the floor once again. He'd been beaten ruthlessly by Frieza's most elite soldiers, but only once had Frieza actually been to see him himself, which was when he first arrived. Frieza well and truly was enjoying his revenge over the saiyan that murdered him, and Trunks was sure that Goku was receiving the same treatment on the other end of the base somewhere.

From what he had gathered, he was at the Capsule Corporation, or what used to be the Capsule Corporation. Frieza had his engineers and scientists use the past few months to turn it into a massive headquarters to use for his own purposes - and Trunks was inside one of it's many prison cells, a small white room with all of the basics inside it. The soldiers even had the cheek to order him to shower so that they had a blank canvas to spill more blood onto.

Trunks just wondered if there was anyway for him to find out whether Goku was okay, and also wondered if Gohan or Cell had been captured yet too.

* * *

"Is now really the time?" asked Gohan as he was backed into the nearest tree.

"When is it ever the right time?" said Cell, smirking at him.

"With us? Never..." said Gohan, still feeling quite uncomfortable around him. Cell went to caress his face, only to have his hand shrugged off.

"What is it now?" groaned Cell, who was growing impatient. Gohan gestured towards Android 16, who was facing away from them and staring into the distance. "Well, he won't look if he knows what's good for him." Gohan put his hand to Cell's lips as they came closer.

"Not now!" he growled as quietly as he could, not wanting Android 16 to see just how degraded he'd become.

"When then? When your mother's sleeping in the next room?" he taunted, seeing Gohan's expression change from annoyed to livid. "Then again, that never really bothered you in the past, did it?"

Gohan didn't mean to retaliate; he struck Cell hard across the face, regretting it instantly and fearing whatever he was going to receive in return. Cell brought his head back around, fully revealing his bloody lip. Gohan squeezed his eyes shut when he was grabbed by the neck and shoved against the tree, but opened them again when all that came next was laughter. Cell let him go, prompting Gohan to hold onto his neck and attempt to rub away any potential bruising before it happened. Cell just walked away, leaving Gohan frightened again; he was going to return that... at some point.

"What was that?" asked Android 16. Gohan rolled his eyes, not meaning to sound angry.

"Nothing!" he yelled, still ticked off about feeling scared over what seemed like nothing. "Sorry, I'm just... I don't know," he sighed after seeing Android 16's rather confused expression. "I just don't want you to see us... together."

"It's none of my business," replied Android 16, sending him a reassuring smile. Yet it didn't stop Gohan from feeling guilty.

"I know I should stop... I just can't," said Gohan, wondering why he was finally opening up, probably because he knew that Android 16 wasn't going to try and stop him.

"He's going to hit you back."

"I know. And part of me wants it."

"How does it feel?" he asked, pointing at Gohan's stomach. "Having this inside of you?"

Gohan opened his mouth to answer, intending to find a word vile enough to describe it, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to say it. He placed his hand on his stomach, curling his fingers into a fist which pulled at his clothes.

"I don't know..." he said, his fist acting as if he was trying to claw it out of himself. "This... it should really be my wake up call, shouldn't it? After everything that's happened I should just leave him, shouldn't I?"

"You should, but you can't."

"Won't," he corrected.

"He will bring you back if you do leave."

"So I'm trapped," said Gohan, sounding as if he'd accepted that a long time ago. It had been more or less a year since it all started, he was too deep into it to turn back now. Cell had made it perfectly clear that he 'owned' him now. Gohan saw Android 16 show a tiny bit of emotion towards him, placing his large hand onto his shoulder. "It's okay," he said with a fake smile. "Feeling like this... it's better than feeling nothing at all."

* * *

They arrived the next day on Papaya island, outside of the arena. Gohan didn't know why he felt so apprehensive about being there all of a sudden. He made his way into the stadium slowly walking around until he could hear laughing. As he walked further towards the entrance to the stadium, he could see Goten and Trunks playing on the arena, and then he caught a glimpse of his mother playing with Haru, his youngest brother, who was rolling around on the edge of the arena. He felt sad that he'd missed so much; he was almost three months old now, no longer as tiny as he remembered. He walked outside, first holding his breath.

"Mom?"

She turned around at the sound of a voice she never thought she'd hear again. Chi Chi saw Gohan stood there over her, and even after everything that had happened between them, she threw her arms around him tearfully.

"I can't believe it! You're okay!" she cried. Gohan actually felt a sense of relief, as well as some elation; when they last saw each other, they'd parted on such bad terms that he thought she'd never want to see him ever again.

But then he felt so guilty about his own feelings... was this how a parent was supposed to feel for their child? Gohan felt nothing for the life growing inside him... well, almost nothing. He was secretly denying the flicker of instinct that was beginning to surface. He blamed this on the fact that it was Cell's, that he was now bound to the one who had ruined his life for the rest of his existence. He'd just that second remembered that it was supposed to be dying - that was three weeks ago now. It wasn't dying at all, it was still growing.

"I was so convinced that Frieza had took you too," she whimpered as she pulled back, placing her hand on his face. Chi Chi didn't let on that she was also saddened by him; he looked so different, worn and hollow like there was nothing left inside him. But more than anything, she was just happy to have him where she could touch him.

"Too? What's going on?"

"Kid!"

They were interrupted by Jeice, who was so happy that he could have exploded on the spot, catching Gohan by surprise when Jeice threw his arms around him too, nearly knocking him over.

"We were worried sick about you!"

"What's happened? What did you mean about Frieza?" asked Gohan, worryingly looking at them both.

"We were jumped a couple of weeks ago by Frieza's most elite soldiers..."

"They took your father... and Trunks. Frieza's holding them prisoner."

"What?!" Gohan couldn't believe it, all that time he was running away from him with the dragon ball in his possession... and Trunks and Goku were the ones paying the ultimate price for it. He was soon in his mother's arms again, trying to take it all in, unaware that Cell was watching him from a distance.

"Did you hear that?" said Android 16, his superior hearing coming in handy from their position on the roof of the stadium.

"Of course I did," scoffed Cell, trying to convince himself that he didn't have any trouble catching what they were saying. It seemed that his hearing wasn't as great as it used to be either thanks to his blasted condition.

"It looks like Frieza will pick us all off one by one until he gets the dragon ball -"

"And Gohan."

Cell smirked as Android 16's eyes widened.

"Why do you think that Frieza considers me an enemy too? I'm the only thing standing between him and his latest conquest."

"Conquest?"

"Frieza takes a liking to young saiyans, he likes to fuck them," he said slowly, mocking Android 16's intelligence.

"Well, I take it that's where you get it from," taunted Android 16 in his robotic voice.

"That's just about the most interesting thing you've ever said," laughed Cell, taking that quite well; but then again, he didn't really have feelings anyway.

"How can you not feel any remorse about everything you've done to that boy?"

"Look at him," he said, looking down at Gohan, who was talking to Jeice. "Are you telling me that you wouldn't fuck him if you had the chance?" Cell observed what looked like anger in Android 16's face before laughing at him again. "Of course you wouldn't, you're just a walking talking toaster oven, aren't you?"

"If you must continue to defile him, just don't do it where I have to see or hear you! You have no idea what is going through his head!" he shouted, but not so loud that they could be heard.

"I know what he loves," continued Cell, enjoying the reaction that he was getting. "You know he refused me so that you wouldn't have to see us? If he's in the right mood, he won't care if you were right there in front of us."

"He is not a toy, Cell."

"Sure he is. The best kind of toy that bites back when you tease him enough."

"Why are you saying these things?"

Cell's smirk grew wider as he looked away from Gohan and at Android 16.

"Because you people are incredibly easy to provoke," he laughed. "You're not the soulless machine that you've been trying to make yourself out to be recently, you never have been. If Gohan needs to talk to you, that's fine by me if it stops him from breaking just yet."

* * *

After Gohan had met with the rest of the fighters again, it left him feeling more hollow and guilty than ever that Trunks and his father weren't there. He found himself alone for ten minutes - and that was ten minutes too long. He found himself heading away from the living quarters where they were all staying and going over to the stadium itself as fast as he could manage. He needed help, and this was one of those particular situations where there was only one person he wanted to go to.

He found him alone in the private room overlooking the arena staring out of the window, he didn't react when he heard Gohan come inside and shut the door.

"You done with your little reunion?"

"I've done something stupid..." said Gohan, his voice shaking heavily.

Cell turned around to be startled by the sight of Gohan covered in his own blood. He was bleeding from his collar bone area under his clothes, as well as a gash on his forehead.

"What happened?"

"I... I felt guilty. They're all alone out there..."

"To your face..." said Cell, not too interested in what ever he was feeling.

"I... uh... I cut myself and then I think I must have passed out and hit my head... I don't really remember," he stuttered, his head and shoulder still searing with pain. His vision doubled again, so much that he found himself on the verge of fainting again. Luckily, Cell was there to catch him this time when he stumbled forwards. The android eased him onto the sofa which overlooked the arena to give him something to look at other than his blood covered hands.

"How long were you knocked out for?"

"I don't know, a couple of minutes maybe," he said, still trying not to close his eyes and fall asleep on the spot. He'd injured his head so many times in the past that he knew what not to do. Though that wasn't something he was exactly proud of.

"How long has it been since the last time you did this to yourself? Feels like longer than before."

"Thirty-seven days, almost thirty-eight."

"Well... I suppose you're heading in the right direction."

* * *

"Where's Goku?" grunted Trunks through the pain of his broken ribs, beaten to a pulp once again as he was bound in chains against the blood covered wall.

"Around," answered Frieza, now looking more horrible than ever. He was in his fully powered form, veins sticking out of him.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, this being the first time he'd seen Frieza during his captivity. He wanted answers.

"I've been wanting to kill you since you chopped me to pieces years ago. But I think I'm enjoying keeping you prisoner like this," he laughed. "You can be my punching bag until I get that other half breed for myself."

"Leave Gohan alone!" cried Trunks with all the strength he could muster. The Gohan in his time died horribly and there was nothing he could do, he wasn't about to let it happen again. "Take me instead!"

"You?!"

"I know why you want him, I'm a saiyan too, just take me instead of him!" pleaded Trunks, convinced that he wasn't going to get out of there alive anyway; his hopes of freeing Gohan were dashed when Frieza simply sneered back at him.

"You might be a saiyan, but you're in no way pure enough for me."

"I'm Vegeta's son."

"You might well be, but look at you," he said, taking pleasure in casting him aside. "Impure," he continued, pointing at his hair. "You're too tainted by that common blood." Trunks was defeated when he realised that Frieza was referring to his fair hair and eyes. Too human for him.

"It doesn't matter anyway, he'll come to save you soon. Or rather, he'll try and fail in saving you. Then I'll have you both. And the rest of those dragon balls."

* * *

Cell had finished cleaning his head, observing that the cut was neat enough not to need stitches. He took the cloth and bowl of water back to the bar at the back of the room.

"There any whiskey back there?" joked Gohan, his concussion finally starting to wear off.

"I think whiskey is the last thing you need," said Cell, coming back with some fresh water in the bowl. He placed it on the table in front of him as he sat next to Gohan again. The android seemed to relish in insulting Gohan by helping to clean him up whenever he hit rock bottom. Even more so this time - despite be sat obediently as Cell treated his injuries, Gohan was scared stiff, and he still had no idea why. "Take off your shirt."

"What?" gasped a startled Gohan. Cell had been treating him rather delicately since he decided to force himself onto him while he was sick. He still didn't remember it, but was left with that undying feeling that something was wrong.

"I can't get to those cuts if you don't," he said slyly. Gohan looked away, hesitantly untying his belt and pulling his shirt off, wincing as it accidentally caused one of the cuts to start bleeding again. Cell watched him continue to stare in the opposite direction as he bathed his wounds, feeling him tense up again under his fingers. "Why so tense?" he asked, pushing for an answer that he knew Gohan didn't have.

"I don't know... this just feels wrong."

"It is wrong. But I thought you'd got passed that."

"Me too," he said, calming down a little as he found the cold water soothing against his skin. "Maybe it's just this that's..." Gohan looked down at his slightly protruding stomach, flinching when he felt a soft kiss on his cheek. "I can't. I have to stop this!" he shouted, standing up.

"Why?"

"They've been tortured by Frieza, they're probably dead and being killed again over and over because we have what he wants!"

"What do you want us to do? Storm in there, defeat an army and an enemy more powerful than you can imagine and rescue them?" said Cell, trying to hammer some logic back into the boy, as well as attempting to secure him back under his thumb.

"It's not right."

"What isn't?"

"Why do they always have to endure that while we're just..."

"We all have our own means of escape. Your brother likes to play, Android 16 bird watches, and we fuck each other. I don't see what the difference is."

"Why does this feel so wrong?" asked Gohan, still scared at his touch as Cell cupped his face.

"Because it always has been," answered Cell, Gohan remaining frozen in front of him. "Escape your life for a while. I know I need to," he said, raising his other hand to show Gohan how much it was trembling thanks to the damage done to his brain.

Gohan just stood there blankly until it registered that he was being kissed. He responded regardless of his fears, circling his arms around Cell's neck as he felt arms around his own naked torso. He stopped when he felt himself being pushed back onto the sofa.

"No... over there," he said, pointing to the floor in the corner.

"Any particular reason?"

"I'm nothing," said Gohan passively.

* * *

Gohan was enjoying that post-coital calm again, lying naked on the cold wooden floor. Even his wrist bands had been removed this time, no longer letting his scars bother him. He pushed himself to sit up against the wall next to Cell.

"You have a funny way of showing how much you want to stop this," said Cell, taking Gohan's right hand to look at his scars. Gohan didn't answer, he was just thankful that he didn't have to look Cell in the eye throughout that since he spent the majority of it on his hands and knees. He was still feeling scared. "Do you feel any better?"

"No."

Gohan reached forward to grab his pants which were nearby on the floor, pulling them on before settling back down against the wall and giving his hand back to Cell.

"Well it sounded like you... arrived."

"Well, yeah I did, but... it still doesn't change the fact that the world's ended."

"Yet you keep coming back. Why? If it doesn't change anything?"

"Because I love you." Gohan looked away from him again, quite shocked at how quickly that came out of his mouth. "That still doesn't mean anything to you does it?"

Cell just slowly shook his head while staring down at the boy's scars, concentrating more on the fact that his left hand was slowly going numb. Gohan soon snatched his hand back after snapping out of it, standing up to put his shirt back on which was still draped over the sofa. He put his belt back on as well, noticing that he was having to loosen it a little more around his stomach.

"So, now what?" he asked, just as he started to hear some quiet choking sounds coming from behind him. "Cell?"

Gohan turned around to see Cell experiencing another seizure, still sat against the wall on the floor. He was only jerking slightly, but his eyes were fully rolled into the back of his head. Gohan seemed to switch on instantly, running over to help; he eased him to lie flat on the floor, where Gohan held Cell's head and neck in his hands to stop him from hitting his head further.

"Please don't do this to me, not yet," he cried silently, not ready for it to get worse already. Gohan knew that Cell only had a few months at best until his brain would completely shut down, that was their time limit to fix the world, and therefore fix Cell too.

* * *

Cell had been unconscious for a good half hour after he stopped fitting, Gohan had his head rested on his lap after a realised that he didn't need holding still anymore. Gohan just stared off into the rest of the room until he felt him move.

"Cell?"

"What..." Cell couldn't seem to get the words out as he slowly sat himself up in front of Gohan. "Seizure?"

"Yeah, you've been out for a while."

Cell groaned as that familiar ache behind his eyes returned with a vengeance.

"I didn't know what to do, I just... "

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Yeah..."

"So you did the right thing."

Gohan felt relieved that he was no longer alone, but it was a different kind of relief to what he was feeling while Cell was unconscious; it was like he was free of him for a while, a short break away from such a messy, complicated relationship.

* * *

"Gohan?"

"What?"

The boy stopped as he was just about to enter his designated room to sleep, it was now 3am after all. Vegeta was staring at him oddly.

"Are you avoiding me?"

"No, why would you think that?" said Gohan nervously.

"There's something... different about you."

"No there isn't."

Vegeta walked in closer so he could talk more quietly, the way Gohan was furiously denying his concerns only raised them further.

"I sensed three ki's when you and the androids came here," said Vegeta, noticing that Gohan was averting his eyes to the floor. "Android 16 doesn't have a life force, so the only way there could possibly be an extra ki that small, is if it was coming from you."

"Well, you sensed wrong."

"Are you pregnant?"

Gohan didn't answer him, but finally looked him in the eye. The fear and shame in Gohan's eyes was enough to confirm Vegeta's suspicions.

"I don't want to talk about it," said Gohan.

"That's fine by me. We can talk when you're ready."

"Please don't tell anyone."

"I won't, we've got enough to deal with first. Like getting Trunks and Kakarot back."

"You're seriously telling me that we have a shot at that?"

"Frieza won't expect a full on assault this soon, which is why we have to move fast."

"How soon are we talking, here?"

"Myself, Cooler and the Namek have decided that tomorrow would be the best time, especially since we now have you and those two in our ranks." Gohan sighed, not knowing what else to say to that. "We can discuss the plan tomorrow, just try and get some sleep, you look exhausted."

"I've been exhausted for weeks, it's not going to get any better overnight."

"I know that, but you have to rest."

Gohan entered his room as Vegeta walked away, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"So, Vegeta's a lot smarter than I thought."

Gohan jumped at the sound of Cell's voice coming from behind him.

"Stop sneaking up like that!"

"He noticed then."

"Noticed what?"

"That you're carrying our child."

"Do you have to say it like that?" said Gohan, trying not to think of it as a child. Everytime Gohan ever though of it like that, he started to feel something he wasn't sure he was comfortable with.

"Well, it's true isn't it?" he said, approaching Gohan and placing his hand over his small bump. Gohan rolled his eyes as he felt his stomach being rubbed almost lovingly as if Cell was just tormenting him further, constantly reminding him that it was there. "The fact that you keep denying that this is happening to you won't make it go away."

"What the hell are we going to do? Raise it?" he sneered sarcastically.

"I've watched you these past few weeks. You haven't done anything to endanger it, in fact you stopped harming yourself and came straight to me for help before you did anything too stupid earlier today, didn't you?"

"Please don't..."

"You've fallen in love with it, haven't you? Admit it."

Gohan just looked off to the side again, biting his lip. He didn't want to admit the comfort that it brought him as well as the grief. This life inside him could be the answer to everything, it could either make or break him, and he wouldn't lose out no matter which way it went.

"I think I might."

"How sweet," said Cell, raising his other hand to caress his face. The android was smirking at him, little did Gohan notice as he was going through all the possibilities in his mind, Cell could see that Gohan finally had some sort of peace within his grasp... but he didn't notice until it was too late.

Gohan wasn't fast aware enough to acknowledge the hand on his face suddenly cover his mouth to keep him quiet, the other moving to his back to keep him in position as Cell suddenly drove his knee full force into Gohan's stomach. Cell listened to Gohan's muffled cries as his body seized up completely before letting him go. Gohan grasped onto him as he slowly slid into a heap on the floor, his abdomen in excruciating pain.

"I can't believe I didn't do that sooner. Now you have nothing to worry about anymore, do you?"

Gohan didn't hear him leave the room, still sobbing and curled up in a ball on the floor, fading in and out of consciousness. He'd never felt pain like it, the tiny ki inside him was beginning to waver oddly. He should've seen it coming - Cell was always going to try to take it away from him, he was just waiting until he grew to love it enough.

 **Please Review!**


	9. The Party

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Ended up in hospital the other day :( So, bed ridden for the time being equals new chapter! This one's a little longer than usual, a little confusing to write since there's so much going on!**

 **CHAPTER 9: THE PARTY**

Gohan managed to drag himself onto his bed eventually, just lying there facing the wall. His abdomen was still aching unbearably, he hadn't had the strength to check the damage yet, but assumed that he was going to be badly bruised around his lower stomach. It wasn't the worst injury he'd ever had before, even half saiyans could tolerate internal bleeding with a few hours rest.

He could feel that tiny life inside him anymore, it felt as if it had just disappeared quietly. Now he just felt completely numb, it reminded him of how he felt at the Cell Games after his father died - when he'd disappeared with Cell, it felt like a flash, the deafening howling of the wind and rocks flying around them had suddenly collapsed into nothing. He remembered falling onto his knees when the wasteland they were in fell silent, and then the numbness took over, along with an overwhelming desire to scream until it killed him.

Gohan needed to scream, but something seemed to be holding him back from releasing his fury upon the world. He'd finally stopped crying an hour ago, but he still had so much grief and anger to let out. He didn't move when he heard the door go, but looked up to the window to see that it was getting a little lighter outside, he must have been left there alone for a good while.

He felt him lie down on the bed behind him; still not moving, he just hoped that Cell thought that he was asleep, but he knew that the android also wasn't stupid.

"Why?" whispered Gohan, feeling his shoulder and arm being caressed. "How could you do that to me?" He didn't know why he was bothering asking, realising that Cell didn't know what real feelings were, but could feel that brewing anger turning into an explosion waiting to happen.

"I thought you wanted to be saved," said Cell innocently, Gohan not being able to see the sly, manipulative nature of his smile.

"Get out."

Gohan heard him laugh behind him, prompting him to narrow his eyes and turn around. Cell took it as if he was just being a moody teenager, but as they both knew, it was well beyond that now.

"If you miss it that much, I could always put another in you."

Cell didn't count on a hand appearing on his neck, pushing him down onto his back. Gohan advanced on him quickly, climbing over him and joins his hand with with the other until Cell began to choke underneath him. The anger was finally seeping out of him, coming from the deepest part of his chest, fully tensing his arms as it passed through them all the way to the tips of his fingers.

The android was beginning to struggle, jerking around as his body naturally fought for the oxygen that he now needed to survive. He started to fight back, trying to pull Gohan's hands off him, but it was too late, his strength and reflexes were still low after his seizure. It only made Gohan squeeze harder, the panic in his eyes was giving him immense satisfaction. _I hate you... I HATE YOU!_ Gohan continued his assault, pushing his body forwards and resting all of his weight entirely on his hands.

Through the thick muscles in his neck, Gohan could feel something about to give, his fingers painfully attempting to dig under Cell's skin. Cell suddenly gave up, his hands went limp and fell from their hold on Gohan's arms and flopped down onto the bed. His eyes flickered shut lazily, but it took another few seconds for Gohan to stop.

Gohan's fingers ached from the sheer force he was just using as he pulled his hands back. He finally let out all the air that he kept in throughout the assault and found his hands shaking violently. It helped at first, but in the end it didn't make him feel better... his child was still dead. Gohan rested his quivering hands on Cell's chest as if he was waiting for something to happen. He knew that Cell wasn't really gone, not for much longer anyway.

His predictions were correct as he was pushed off and onto his back on the bed before he even saw Cell's eyes open again. Gohan waited for whatever he was going to receive in return, no matter how painful, but was surprised when he saw that Cell was merely smirking at him, his arm curled under him to keep him close.

"There's only one way that this going to end," he said, moving in closer. Gohan simply stared back blankly, there was nothing left that cared about himself anymore. "The way that it always does."

Gohan didn't hesitate to kiss him back, in fact he seemed to be in a hurry. He took Cell's other hand that annoyingly hung around his face and forced it down himself. _Just do it... I don't care._ Gohan moaned into the kiss as he was grabbed onto. When he finally pulled back he began pushing down onto Cell's shoulders. Cell took the message, moving down him and quickly removing his pants.

Gohan lay there with his eyes closed, finally feeling relief as Cell explored him with his tongue. He could have just stayed there forever, every lick giving him a rush of pleasure that seemed to dampen his grief. Cell found a rhythm quickly, bobbing his head up and down causing Gohan to writhe in ecstasy; especially when two fingers pushed themselves into him out of nowhere.

"Faster..." he gasped, still not caring about the new low he'd just sank into, letting himself be heard as Cell picked up the pace. But he found himself disappointed when he stopped, leaving him panting and only half way to where he wanted to be. He opened his eyes to see Cell sat up between his legs, unsheathing himself; his neck had since come up with bruises and nail marks.

"Ready?" he asked, staring down at him hungrily.

"I never told you to stop," he panted, not in the mood for any games. Cell pulled him towards him by his hips before pushing into him completely. Gohan welcomed the pain this time, yanking Cell down to rest on top of him. Gohan set the pace immediately, throwing himself into it completely and slamming his hips against him forcefully. The android gave in, secretly hoping that this was going to last longer, but Gohan wanted it to be quick enough for him to forget about it straight after.

Gohan felt the rest of his anger spill out, it seemed to consume him entirely as he started to sound desperate for more. Cell turned them both to the side, hitting him hard from a different angle. Gohan kissed him violently in response for a few seconds. Cell grabbed onto his behind, squeezing it tightly and holding him in place at the same time. Cell's energetic pace accidentally adjusted them a little, making Gohan's body suddenly jerk along with him letting out a loud noise.

"There!" he gasped, firmly holding onto him as Cell repeated his previous movements for Gohan completely surrender to it. It only took him a few more hard thrusts for Gohan to unexpectedly climax against him, causing Cell to let out a triumphant laugh as the boy continued to shudder against him. He pushed Gohan further onto his back, carrying on with his brutal movements until he came into him.

Gohan had long since come around again, now just feeling exhausted and sweaty, and for the first time in months, he felt dirty for that same reason he couldn't put his finger on lately. He stayed where he was, staring at the ceiling trying to fathom what to do with himself now, feeling Cell turn to face him, the android's arms snaking around him again. Gohan merely gazed back at him for a few seconds, but soon it turned into a fierce glare. Before Cell could press their lips together, Gohan shoved him off to the side, hearing Cell's head hit the wall.

It distracted the android long enough so that Gohan could throw himself off the bed and grab his pants before locking himself in the bathroom. Cell was intrigued; Gohan hadn't behaved this way since the beginning of their relationship, back when Gohan treated what they did like a 'hit and run', as he once described it.

* * *

Gohan anchored his elbows into the bathroom counter, leaning over to run his hands through his hair before slapping himself in the head. _What the hell was that?! Why are you so stupid?!_ Gohan had no idea why he reacted like he did, thinking that logically the last thing he would want to do after last night was to even look at Cell ever again after what he did. He wondered if this was what love was supposed to really feel like, but he was kidding himself at that moment; all he could feel for him was hate.

He needed a shower as quickly as possible, he went over to it and switched it on to let it heat up enough to hopefully burn him. He turned around again, pacing around the small en suite to try and clam himself down. He had no idea what his body wanted to do - he didn't know whether he wanted to scream, hit something or just delve into another panic attack. All the uncertainty in itself was causing him unwanted anxiety.

He took his shirt off abruptly, throwing it to the floor to join his pants along with his belt and wrist bands. Just as he felt the warm moisture coming from the shower, he buried himself into the nearest wall, letting out a furious growl into his arms before driving his palm into the tiles, the force of which cracked a couple of them. The last thing he needed was to be faced with his reflection when he turned round.

That was when Gohan saw it for the first time - his bruised lower stomach which had turned an ugly shade of purple. The bump was still there, which unnerved him horribly, because there was nothing inside it for him anymore. It was dead. He still hadn't accepted that it was dead, but at the same time he couldn't accept that it existed in the first place for him to grieve over. He didn't know what to do, he subconsciously went for the cupboard searching for his way out.

Gohan began hyperventilating, slamming the cupboard shut again when he didn't find anything worth using. He stood up straight again, going for the glass stood on the counter before smashing it into the sink. His hand dove in to pick up the sharpest piece he could find before bringing it up to his neck. But this time - he stopped. He found himself staring at his reflection again, something in his eyes was different, but he froze completely when it spoke.

"Drop the glass," said his saiyan half from the mirror.

"What?"

Gohan wasn't sure whether it was real or not, but his hand suddenly opened, dropping the glass shard back into the sink.

"I can help you."

"There's nothing left to help," said Gohan, fully aware that he was openly talking to himself.

"Use me to get away." His saiyan half was oddly persuasive.

"I don't know how."

"Yes you do."

Gohan must have looked away for only a second to check that the door was still shut behind him, but when he turned back he was faced with his regular self in the mirror again. He just shook his head, aware that it had distracted him long enough to slow his breathing down, and he finally stepped into the shower.

* * *

"Please come back," sobbed Chi Chi, she'd had Gohan in a firm hug for the past ten minutes, not wanting to lose her son to this monster as well as Goku.

"I will, don't worry," he said, trying to paste a convincing smile on top of his fake motivation to get this done as quickly as possible. Gohan didn't want to face Frieza, but he knew he had to sooner or later. Maybe now was the right time since he felt that he was so disposable. He took his mother's hands and gave her the dragon ball which was still in it's protected bag. "Look after this until I get back."

"It's a larger party this time, and we need to spread out a lot more with this one. We barely got away the last time because there were fewer of us in the same place. This time we attack the base from all different sides," said Cooler.

They'd been put into teams; Gohan, Cell, Android 16, Jeice and Burter were altogether since they knew each other well enough. They were tasked with freeing Goku. Recoome, Piccolo, Vegeta and Krillin were to find Trunks, while the rest of them were set to keep Frieza on the ropes while they helped Goku and Trunks escape.

* * *

They didn't stay for goodbyes, Cell teleporting them all just outside West City so they didn't waste energy flying all the way there.

"That place is crawling with soldiers," said Tien from behind them.

"I know, you'd have thought they would be out searching for the dragon balls," said Piccolo.

"They are..." said Cooler. "Frieza's obviously been recruiting from many different worlds."

"So do we go for the dragon balls that he has while we're in there?" asked Jeice.

"The main priority is to remove the saiyans from his captivity. If we have the advantage, we can attempt to take them."

"And then we can wish the world back to normal," said Yamcha, finally seeing a light at the end of this long nasty tunnel.

"Shall we get this party started, then?" hollered Recoome, stretching himself into his rather unique fighting stance.

"Everyone ready?" asked Cooler, gearing himself up.

"Ready..."

Salza flew up into the air and sent a powerful energy blast flying towards Frieza's ship.

* * *

"This is too easy... why is it too easy?" whispered Jeice as he edged around another corner with Android 16, Burter, Cell and Gohan. They'd managed to get inside and avoid any soldiers, seeing as most of them had flown outside to counter everyone else. Salza's blast proved to be distracting enough to cause a huge scene. The last they all saw before heading into the ship was a lot of fighting, ki blasts flying in every single direction.

"Do you think we're being watched?" asked Android 16, pointing at what looked like a camera attached to the ceiling around the corner.

"No, Salza's blast was charged, it would've wiped them all out across the entire city," said Cell.

"Where are you, dad?" sighed Gohan, still not able to sense his father anywhere. He was also concerned about how damaged Trunks' energy was as he sensed him from the other side of the ship, but could also feel Vegeta getting closer to him.

"I can't sense Goku anywhere," said Jeice.

"Can't you scan for stuff?" asked Burter, turning to Android 16. "You're one of those robot things, right? Don't you have like x-ray vision or something?"

"Actually, that isn't the worst idea I've heard today," said Cell, turning to look at the android. "Or did Salza fry your circuits too?"

"No, I can scan for any life forms."

Android 16 walked in front of them to scan the various rooms with his eyes to detect any life. There was an odd sighting just a few doors down. There was somebody in there, lying down and suspended above ground, which meant that they were being kept in some sort of container. Whoever it was, they were unconscious, and their body temperature was low, but not enough for it to kill them.

"There is somebody being contained in a room five doors down from here, I think it might be him," said Android 16.

"But, why can't we sense him?" asked Gohan, confused as to why the rooms all felt empty.

"He's fully sedated and his body is being kept cold. But he is alive."

They moved forwards, Android 16 not picking up any soldiers with his heat sensors. They got to the room, a large secure metal blast door protecting it with a mechanism requiring a code.

"Oh great," sighed Jeice, not loving the fact that everything in Frieza's ships and bases seemed to be password protected.

"Hey 16, think you can crack this one?" asked Burter. The android was beaten to it by Cell, who simply fried it with a flick of his wrist. The door opened slowly, revealing a dark room full of wires and computers. In the center was what looked like a metal coffin. As they walked in, they could see that it had a transparent lid; inside it, there was Goku, but he was hooked up to a mask; he still had his pants and shirt on, but it looked like he'd been there since he was captured, lying in some sort of blue coloured gel that submerged him entirely.

"Dad?"

Gohan looked over inside, seeing his father wired up to the container, which had much larger cables coming out of it and connecting to various beeping computers.

"What is this place?" said Cell.

"It's a power center," said Burter, having seen this in the past. "I haven't seen one like this for over twenty years. Sometimes Frieza used people as power sources, draining their energy to fuel the ship."

"And with Goku being the embodiment of pure, undiluted life energy, then I'm guessing that's why he's the only one here. He would be more than enough to keep this place going for years," said Cell, finally putting the pieces together. "Also convenient for keeping him under control."

"We need to get him out of here," said Gohan, looking for some sort of mechanism on the container.

"Sounds like a plan, but this place is going to go under and lose power as soon as we free him," said Jeice, feeling uneasy about the hefty escape they were about to make.

"Sounds appealing enough to me," said Cell.

"Start looking for the safest way to get him out," said Android 16, walking around the room.

Gohan just stayed where he was, looking at his unconscious father lying in that pool of ooze, he still couldn't sense anything from him. He snapped out of it, continuously fidgeting with the underside of the container's lid trying to find a switch to open it.

"What are you doing?" asked Cell, observing Gohan's fruitless attempts. "There's nothing under there. You didn't think it'd be that simple, did you?" Cell walked over to him, placing his hand on his lower arm to get him to stop.

"Get off me!" Gohan retaliated quickly, flinging his arm backwards and pushing Cell away, which was enough to make the others turn around. Cell merely rolled his eyes and continued examining the many screens on the wall, leaving Gohan stood over Goku again.

"Are you okay?" asked Jeice quietly as he moved next to him.

"Fine..."

"Dude, you're shaking."

Gohan looked down to see that hands hands were indeed quivering violently; Jeice was managing to do that annoying thing again - getting him to open up without necessarily doing anything.

"What's happened between you two?"

Gohan's defensive barriers were slowly crumbling, he turned to Jeice, ready to just burst about everything, including what was growing inside him until this morning. But before he could speak, they heard a bang, and then an alarm.

"Vegeta still hasn't mastered the art of subtlety, I take it?" remarked Cell as they all sensed that he began fighting on the other side of the base. The other fighters who were with him seemed to have joined in, but they all froze when something more horrifying was heading towards them.

"Frieza?! Shit!" mouthed Jeice frantically to the others. "What the fuck do we do now?!"

"I'll go," said Cell. "I can probably occupy him for a while."

"You had a seizure last night..." said Gohan, finally looking at him properly for the first time since then. Cell didn't look altogether well yet, still looking quite worn.

"You what? Why did you say anything?" asked Android 16, who was already fully aware of his condition thanks to Doctor Gero.

"Now really isn't the time to discuss this. Just get him out of here fast, make it worth risking my neck."

Cell was looking at Gohan more than any of the rest of them, taking in the fact that the boy was torn between not caring about him and terrified over the prospect of never seeing him again.

"I'll go with you, I'm not much use to you in here," said Android 16, going for the door.

"Aw man!" sobbed Burter, hugging Jeice as he began to panic.

Cell took one last look at Gohan before heading out of the door; he had a nagging feeling that this wasn't going to end well for at least one of them.

* * *

Cell and Android 16 managed to turn a few corners before they met Frieza, happy that they were a safe enough distance away from Goku for the others to get away.

"Ah, finally," said Frieza. "Where's that monkey of yours?"

"Are you saying that I'm not enough for you?" mocked Cell, shutting down any apprehensions he had and standing confidently in front of him.

* * *

"How do you switch this thing off?!" cried Gohan; it had been fifteen minutes and they were still trying to free his father from the machine he was hooked up to. It was still using his energy to power everything.

"Oh, I know this!" yelled Jeice, his brain finally clicking, heading over to a small trap door at the back of the room. He pulled back the hatch to find a control panel under it. Without even thinking, he drove his fist into it, causing all of the machines in the room to stop.

Gohan fell silent for a second, jumping when the wires and bindings suddenly came loose, and the lid opened. He leaned over, taking the mask off and pulling his unconscious father out of the gel; with Jeice and Burter's help, he managed to get him out of the tub and on to his bare feet just before he drew breath again.

"What... what happened?" he groaned, finally waking up. "Gohan?" Goku was relieved to see his son by his side, but was also confused as to where he was, he didn't remember a thing. Gohan just smiled back... at least his family was now back together. He supposed that was a good start. But the mood soon turned sour when Android 16 staggered in through the door, having taken quite a bit of damage.

"We need to go now, the others have retreated with two of the dragon balls."

"Trunks?" asked Gohan.

"I don't know, but we have to leave now, Cell can't hold Frieza off for much longer. We need to get to him and teleport back."

* * *

Cell dodged another shot, retreating behind a wall, this place seemed to have no end to it, all of the corridors looked exactly the same. He couldn't keep him going for much longer, he couldn't deny Frieza's new found power as Cell was covered in bruises and cuts, out of breath from drawing him away from where Goku was being kept. But then he sensed them - it was time for them to go.

Just as Frieza came round the corner to deal his final blow, Cell had disappeared.

"We've got to get out now!" yelled Jeice, as Cell appeared again, Frieza was already well on his way to them. The base was beginning to shake from all the damage, just as they all got together to go, the all had to scatter as a huge chunk of the ceiling came down on top of them.

"Well then, looks like I have myself a treat," snarled Frieza. The all saw him standing over them as the dust cleared. Gohan's heart stopped, he didn't want to have to look at him knowing what would happen if they lost right here.

"Quick!" shouted Android 16 as they all stood, helping Burter and Jeice drag Goku towards them. Android 16 latched onto Cell's shoulder so that they were all connected. Gohan scarpered onto his feet to join them, turning his back on Frieza and not seeing him raise his hand to shoot a death beam towards Cell.

"Gohan!" cried Cell, not even meaning to, but they had to all get out of there now. But they were no match for Frieza's speed, it all seemed to happen in slow motion. Frieza leaped forwards, pushing Gohan down to the floor with such force that it knocked him out cold on impact - Cell had felt Gohan touch his hand just as he disappeared, but Frieza had knocked him out of the way just in time, sending the death beam towards Cell with his other hand.

Frieza smirked triumphantly as he looked down at the unconscious saiyan that was finally in his possession, and it turned into a hysterical cackle when that death beam he sent had vapourised along with Cell - the android wasn't coming to save Gohan anytime soon.

* * *

Master Roshi was the first to sense them before they reappeared at the arena.

"Goku!"

Goku was still drowsy, covered in that weird, slimy gel which seemed to weigh him down even more, though it didn't stop Chi Chi and Goten from embracing him on sight.

"Where are the others?" asked Master Roshi.

"Long since heading back, but they had to go the long way," said Jeice. "They have two of the dragon balls. Just got one left to get next time and they're all ours."

"Trunks?" asked Bulma.

"We don't know."

"Where's Gohan?" asked Chi Chi. They all spun around to look for him, but he wasn't there. But what they did see was Cell sprawled out on the arena on his stomach, blood oozing from a wound on his head.

"No!" cried Android 16, rushing over to him and checking for any life signs. Cell's eyes were half open, he was still, and it looked as if Frieza had shot a clean hole through his already damaged brain. And since he was already deteriorating, there was no quick fix this time.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Burter, also growing worried about both Cell and Gohan.

"I need Doctor Gero, I don't know what to do! There's no way of getting Gohan back if Cell can't reach him!" he yelled.

"What's happened?!" asked Goku.

"He's brain dead!" Everyone fell silent, not knowing how to feel. They were relieved that he wasn't a threat to them anymore, but they needed him in this fight.

"And Frieza has Gohan..." said Jeice, feeling himself break down.

"No... " sobbed Chi Chi, crying into Goku's arms.

"We'll get him back. I'll make sure of it."

"We'll have to wait for the others to get back, see if they've got Trunks and get hold of those dragon balls. Give us at least some good news," said Master Roshi.

Android 16 never thought he could feel this way. He was terrified for Gohan, knowing that the boy was unstable enough as it was without being held prisoner. He leaned over Cell, closing his eyes for him. With Cell completely out of action, probably forever, now what were they meant to do? He needed to find Doctor Gero if they had any chance of bringing him back.

* * *

Gohan groaned, his head throbbing with pain. He'd been dumped somewhere to sleep it off; he managed to raise his head enough to see white sheets under him, along with a small blood stain which came from the cut on his right temple.

"What the..."

Gohan sat up slowly, finding himself inside what looked like a prison cell, a rather clean one. It was obviously one of many. It was a small square room with white walls containing basic items such as a shower and a toilet, which had a curtain pulled round them, and a small single bed with one pillow and white sheets. Gohan only just remembered how he got there after a few seconds... and came to the shocking realisation that he was alone... Cell wasn't here to save him this time.

He didn't have time to figure out a way to escape as the door slid open - there he was, Frieza was stood there at the door, he looked so tall compared to how he remembered, terrifyingly large, especially around his shoulders, veins sticking out of him everywhere. The increase in his muscle mass had stretched his skin to it's limit, causing smaller veins to become visible and tinting parts of him blue, looking as if he had dark blotches all over him.

Gohan froze completely, not caring that it seemed to satisfy Frieza; not only could he see Gohan's fear, but he could also smell it from where he was standing.

"You've certainly grown these past few months," he said, Gohan really not liking the tone of his voice as he secured the door shut behind him. He wasn't wasting the opportunity this time, Gohan began to prepare himself for the worst. "I was getting tired of smacking that other boy around, to be honest. This couldn't have come at a better time for me."

"Trunks? Where is he?" he stuttered, not even meaning to open his mouth.

"Safe and sound in one of the cells, though a little bruised, shall we say," he replied, smiling back at him. "Vegeta's pathetic attempt to save his own son backfired. So at least you'll have a friend in here to stop you from going too insane... although that in itself sounds appealing. Maybe I _will_ keep you apart after all."

Gohan tried to meld himself into the wall as Frieza came over to him, still inhaling his intoxicating fear.

"And don't even think about trying to escape, I've had my soldiers sedate your powers. Nowhere to run this time, saiyan!" he laughed, dragging Gohan onto his feet by his hair and shoving him against the wall. Frieza suddenly didn't seem so large, Gohan was now taller than him, but it still didn't make the situation any less frightening. Gohan tried to control his breathing, knitting his lips together so that he didn't make a sound as Frieza placed his hand onto his face. "Still soft." Gohan looked to the ceiling, looking for his safe place, but the ceiling was as white as the rest of the room was, he had nothing to focus on.

"Well, there's no point in wasting any more time is there," he said, pinning him against the wall by his neck and untying his belt with his free hand. Gohan didn't know what to do for the best, but his main instinct was to attempt to pry Frieza's hand off his neck - leaving the rest of him exposed to anything. Frieza finally yanked it off him, throwing it to the side before opening his shirt.

"Any last words before I make you mine?"

Gohan just stayed where he was, still staring upwards as if he was waiting for something to come and save him. He heard Frieza laugh as he caressed Gohan's bare chest, freeing his neck so that the other hand could join him. Gohan stayed frozen like a statue, trying to shut off his brain - but he wondered what was going on when Frieza's hand suddenly stopped moving lower, staying at his navel.

"What the hell..."

Gohan finally looked at Frieza, then looked down at his stomach. He'd completely forgot that his small bump was still there after the day he'd just had, but it didn't feel bruised anymore either.

"He's done it again..."

"Done what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, brat!" he shouted angrily. "Cell's managed to knock you up, hasn't he?!"

"It's dead!" cried Gohan, just wanting Frieza to get on with it, the waiting was the worst part.

"No it isn't, I can't believe I didn't sense that thing a mile away."

 _It's alive?!_ Gohan actually felt happy for a second, despite being in the most horrible situation possible - but now what? Was Frieza going to try and kill it too?

"No, not while that's in there. He still has you!" he screeched, shoving Gohan back against the wall by his shoulders before stepping back.

"What are you -"

"I'm not fucking you while a part of that android still contaminates you," he said. Gohan couldn't believe his luck, at least he had time to figure out how to escape, but he soon felt worried when Frieza started smirking. "I'll tell you what you're going to do; you're going to stay here, at least I can use you for other forms of amusement until you pop."

Gohan froze again when Frieza walked up to him, placing his hand on his stomach. He looked as if he was searching for something.

"You're about nine weeks, I see. She'll be here in about four months or so."

"She?" gasped Gohan. Now it just got even more real.

"Yes, she. It's about three-quarters saiyan blood, I'm guessing the other filth is the human part she's got from you."

Gohan felt dizzy - this morning it was dead. And now it was a she, a saiyan and he was also Frieza's prisoner.

"You're going to have her here, and she'll be raised as a killer. Since you saiyans are never going to be more powerful than I am, then I can start a new saiyan army," said Frieza, looking to have a lot of faith in his plan. "And since you've proven yourself fertile thanks to that tail, I can impregnate you myself."

"No!"

Frieza held him still by his neck again, observing how he was nervously looking upwards again.

"And even if I can't, I suppose it'll be fun trying, won't it? I'll leave you to... do whatever it is you saiyans do, then. I'll be back to check on your progress."

Frieza let him go, marching out of the room laughing. Gohan slid down the wall to the floor, still in shock. He just couldn't take any of it in. His hand found itself resting on his lower stomach, he couldn't believe that it had survived Cell's attempt on it's life... her life.

Gohan finally let himself accept it, it was the only thing keeping him alive right now, if it wasn't for her he'd have figured out a way to hang himself with the shower curtain by now. But it wasn't the only thing that he could use to keep him going. Standing up, he fixed his clothes again before sitting on his bed; he crossed his legs and held his head in his hands before closing his eyes.

 _Come on, where are you? I need you!_

Gohan was searching the depths of his own mind for his saiyan counterpart to take over for a while, or at least help him through whenever Frieza would inevitably visit him.

 _Hello?_

 **Please Review!**


	10. Escape

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 10: ESCAPE**

Gohan was even beginning to question whether Frieza was telling him at the truth, but two weeks of letting his stomach injury heal properly, he could feel it again. She was still there, still growing and very much alive, the injury was simply masking her ki. Pregnant saiyans were indeed more durable than average, their bodies proving worthy of protecting their children since males spent most of their days fighting. It made sense to him now, or rather, that was the best he could fathom on his own.

He was propped up against the wall, feeling quite weak, but not so much that it was causing him concern. Frieza's soldiers came to him three times a day with a plate of food for him. He couldn't exactly turn it away as he needed to look after himself, but after eating a few portions of it, he'd come to realise that it was laced with sedatives to keep his powers from returning. For now, he was stuck in this prison cell, and still hadn't found a way to access his saiyan half.

They only way he'd managed it in the past was completely by accident, catching himself in the mirror and seeing him waiting there for him. The problem was, there were no mirrors in the room, or anything that contained his reflection. He was partly thankful for it, however, it left him powerless. Gohan couldn't bring it out at will anymore; when he was wished back to life, the psychosis it triggered split his personalities apart for good, no longer being one whole entity.

Gohan's subconscious now contained two different people, which was why he couldn't remember a lot of the things that his saiyan side had done while he'd been in control. He was quite relieved about that also, he could only recall about three of the nineteen humans he killed a few weeks ago, not that it made him any less guilty about it.

The other concern on his mind was Cell; he was wondering why he hadn't attempted to contact him at all in the past fortnight. Part of him knew that something was wrong, it wasn't like Cell to just abandon his favourite possession like this, but he also wondered whether Cell had decided to dispose of him completely, assuming that Frieza had claimed him as his own. But that didn't explain why Gohan couldn't reach him telepathically, unless the base that he was in was blocking him; he couldn't sense anybody outside of it.

He could sense Trunks nearby, he'd been left well alone since Gohan was captured, probably also being left to heal himself. If only he could open the door and roam freely, a familiar face would have been nice right about now. He was feeling lonelier than ever. Gohan was surprised that all of this tranquility hadn't driven him insane; actually, it was quite the opposite. It turned out peace and quiet was something that he needed after all. He'd literally spent most of the past two weeks sat on his bed learning how to breathe, as odd as it sounded.

Gohan figured that if he trained himself to be calm enough, he could escape sometime soon. Maybe even contact Cell. A huge part of him ached because he missed him so much. The android was the one constant in his life throughout this entire war; despite the animosity between them, Gohan had shared pretty much everything he had to offer with him.

Then he thought maybe Piccolo could help him. He hadn't contacted him telepathically for years, now. He wondered whether their once deep routed connection was still salvageable - well, he guessed there was no harm in trying, he had nothing better to do.

* * *

Little did Gohan realise that Piccolo had the exact same idea a couple of days ago. The Namek was meditating alone on the roof of the stadium, he'd been there for forty-eight hours solid when he finally opened his eyes again to see Goku sat in front of him.

"Anything?"

"No, I can't reach him at all," sighed Piccolo. Goku hung his head, not wanting to imagine what Gohan was going through. He was also fearing the worst about Trunks since he'd been there for so long now. "It's like there's something blocking me. Like there's a door into his mind, but he's barricaded it shut from the other side." Piccolo dropped his meditation, standing up for the first time in days. "Any word on Cell?"

"No change."

* * *

Doctor Gero had some sort of lab set up in the medical area of the stadium. Goku had recently helped him to transport over everything he needed, along with all the dragon balls they had, but now even he was starting to run out of ideas. Android 16 entered the room for the third time that day; he was consistently checking in every few hours.

"I don't even know what I'm looking for here," said Doctor Gero, looking at another recent scan.

Cell was laid flat on his back, wired up to various machines which showed next to no brain activity, except a tiny spark now and again. If Cell were alive when it happened, then he would have been killed instantly and woke up as deceased, much like Gohan did when he died weeks ago. But as Cell was already dead, there wasn't any way to reverse the damage.

Android 16 was the only who ever came to visit Cell, though Goku asked if there was any progress every now and again. Cell looked as if he were sleeping, rather than in a coma. He wondered if he was aware of anything that was happening, but not even his eyes were moving under his eyelids. The lack of brain activity showing on his creator's monitors wasn't promising. But the small spark that appeared every thirty seconds or so had to be an indicator that he wasn't entirely gone.

* * *

-Three days later-

 _Oh, this really isn't good..._

Gohan was trying to control himself, but it was becoming impossible. He wondered how long a neglected heat would last for, whether it would eventually come to an end of its own accord or if he would be in pain until he had sex. Either way, it didn't bode well for him, he'd been left by himself for over two weeks now.

He let his head fall back against the wall he was sat against, unable to sit still as he rubbed his knees together. He didn't need a mirror to tell him how flustered he was. His stomach was starting to cramp as well. He was terrified of Frieza walking in at that moment, it would have been humiliating to say the least - he would have eventually begged him to make the pain go away.

He jumped when an alarm suddenly began blaring out in the room. Due to his heightened senses, he instantly clamped his hands over his ears to block it out. He squinted his eyes when the door opened; a purple soldier and a taller green one came inside and dragged him out of his cell...

* * *

Gohan was dragged by the two soldiers through the corridors. He had trouble keeping up thanks to the heat and not moving around properly for weeks.

"What should we do with these two?"

 _Two?_ Gohan looked up just enough to see Trunks on the other side of the corridor, being held up by two other soldiers.

"What's the matter with him?" asked one of them, gesturing towards Gohan. He noticed how flustered he was.

"I don't know, he's probably sick or something!"

"Just shove them in there!" ordered the blue soldier.

One of the soldiers took Gohan from him and dragged Trunks along too, throwing them in the nearest cell and promptly locking the door. That was when the entire base finally locked down, switching the main lights off and plunging them into darkness. They both felt slightly better when the emergency light came on above the door, at least giving them some light.

Gohan finally turned to look at him properly. He still looked the same as ever, but his hair was longer. He was wearing what looked like disposable clothing of some sort, a dark blue shirt with matching pants which hung off his beaten body. He still looked a little beat up and tired from not sleeping. If this was how he looked now, then how bad did he look when he _was_ being tortured?

"It's so good to see you," said Trunks, breaking the silence in the room. This caused Gohan to smile for the first time in a long while, it was good not to be alone anymore for the both of them, but felt uneasy about the sudden embrace he got when Trunks threw his arms around him as his stomach was still jumping. Gohan felt even worse for him, this must have been the first amount of contact he'd had with anyone friendly for weeks.

"I'm just glad you're okay," said Gohan, his mind put to rest; he'd been thinking all sorts of terrible things, but he was happy that he'd remained entirely in one piece. He remembered the world that Trunks had described to him that he'd grew up in, this was more or less the norm for him, growing up in an apocalyptic future. "Looks like we're stuck in here for now."

"Yeah, they'll probably forget about us for a while until they figure out what's going on. Looks like something's wrong with the power center."

"They can take as long as they want. I'm liking not being left on my own," laughed Gohan as they both sat down on the small bed. He still felt a little nervous, his hand instinctively returning to his lower stomach again. Trunks got himself comfortable in the corner, while Gohan sat himself up close by against the wall, still feeling warm, but everything that went on seemed to distract him enough from it. He grunted with pain when he adjusted himself slightly. "What's wrong?"

"Ribs are still healing," he said. "Has he hurt you?" asked Trunks, not meaning to bluntly cut straight to the point.

"No, I haven't seen him since I got thrown into that prison cell," said Gohan. Trunks sighed with relief, he was fearing the worst when Frieza had described to him in detail what he was going to do to Gohan various times whenever he saw him. Though it didn't explain why Gohan looked as if he hadn't been handled in anyway at all, at least from what he could see.

"I don't understand, it looks like anybody's laid a hand on you."

"They've been told not to," said Gohan, taking all of those breathing exercises into practice as the nerves began to escalate. Trunks didn't know what else to say, but he reached out and put his hand on Gohan's shoulder. Gohan smiled back, hiding his unexplained anxiety, as well as the pain he was still experiencing; it seemed to be easing off a little. "It's going to be a long night, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Frieza's probably going to shove somebody else into that power room. The one where Goku was. They've been having problems with the power ever since you freed him."

"I was actually scared that Frieza had put you in there instead at one point. I couldn't sense you. He still could put you in there!"

"No, he won't. He would have done it by now. As far as I know, he just puts his soldiers in there for the time being."

"I don't want him to hurt you," said Gohan, his stomach suddenly feeling as if it was contracting. He assumed it was out of fear.

"We're going to get out of here, don't worry," said Trunks softly, putting his arm around Gohan completely and pulling him towards him to rest on his shoulder. It was then that Gohan's eyes shot open, the sensations coming from his stomach had returned tenfold.

 _Oh fuck..._ The heat hadn't gone as he'd hoped it had. It had merely hibernated and come back as if it had sensed an opportunity. This time, he was alone in a dark room with another saiyan, and no amount of wishing was going to stop it. Gohan felt embarrassed, wanting to jump onto his feet and avoid all contact with Trunks until it decided to pass on it's own. He didn't even know whether it would go of it's own accord or not, he'd never left it that long to find out before.

Instead, he just stayed as still as possible, trying not to take in the fact that Trunks was starting to smell good. He tried to relax, breathing slowly, but it wasn't working. He didn't know whether Trunks was noticing it or not, but he'd since took his hand off his shoulder and began playing with Gohan's hair.

"Trunks... are you okay?" he asked awkwardly, biting his lip anxiously as he waited for an answer.

"Yeah, why?" he answered obliviously, turning his head just enough to smell his hair. _Oh no..._ Gohan squeezed his eyes shut, he didn't like feeling so out of control. He was wondering why he was still going into heat while he was already pregnant; he decided there and then that his tail was coming off as soon as possible. Gohan swallowed nervously, trying to slow his heart rate down fruitlessly. Just feeling Trunks next to him was starting to drive him insane. He looked to his left, hearing Trunks' breathing become uneven, he wondered if he even knew what was going on, probably presuming that it was just worry.

Gohan lifted up one of his hands, taking some of Trunks' hair into his fingers for a few seconds, before it managed to sneak off and place itself onto his chest. He could feel his heart was catching up to his own. Wanting to say something, he raised his head to look at his face. His eyes seemed to be staring right through him. Without even thinking, Gohan leaned forwards suddenly, pressing their lips together for a few seconds before pulling back.

"What's happening?" asked Trunks, only just registering what had been unfolding in the past few minutes. He had no idea why he wasn't pushing him away, he suddenly felt an unbearable attraction towards Gohan for some unexplained reason. Gohan was slowly giving into his desires, looking at him rather hungrily. The hand that was still on his chest moved upwards to his face, holding it when he kissed him again. He pulled back, lingering closely in front of him in a last ditch effort to fight it off... a poor effort, mind.

Gohan remembered that he was supposed to be answering his question, but also remembered that he didn't have an appropriate enough answer to give him. Instead he leaned in again, kissing him properly; he was taken aback when Trunks began to respond unconsciously. They carried on for a few minutes, deepening the kiss even more as time passed before pulling back for air.

"Gohan?"

"Yeah?" Gohan wasn't really listening, slowly advancing on him. He still had hold of his face, but tilted it away from him gently to he could access his neck, planting soft kisses all way up his ear.

"What's going on?"

Trunks gasped when Gohan trailed his tongue up his neck. Gohan was having trouble keeping control of his hands, wanting them to just do whatever they wanted, but not wanting to scare him off either. He'd long since left his resolve behind; he didn't care that this was Trunks that he was pursuing or how much trouble it would get him into, he just wanted him desperately.

"I've no idea..." he whispered into his ear, only half-lying. He really didn't know what to do other than follow his instincts. He felt him shudder under his lips as he pulled back, feeling Trunks' free hand begin to caress his face. He still had his other arm around him, which was unintentionally pulling him even closer. Trunks ignored whatever logic he had left in his scrambled brain when he yanked Gohan forwards into another violent kiss.

Gohan's hand moved back down to his chest feeling around what he could with his shirt still on. Trunks seemed too apprehensive about moving his own hands, keeping them where they were. Gohan felt his stomach suddenly start doing those familiar back flips, indicating that he was ready for much more.

"We should stop," said Trunks, in between more persistent kissing from both sides.

"I know," said Gohan, feeling a smile begin to creep across his lips, his hand moving lower. His self confidence seemed to shoot through the roof as he continued to advance on him, it was like his saiyan half was out, though his heat was being directly caused by him merely having a tail.

"We really shouldn't be doing this - " Trunks was immediately silenced when Gohan grabbed on to him between his legs. "Oh... okay," he laughed nervously. "That's there."

"Yeah... it definitely is," said Gohan, squeezing it slowly. Gohan was starting to lose himself completely; he'd never had this much freedom or control before. He'd never considered the prospect of somebody else before now. He leaned into him, kissing him seductively as he started going faster. Gohan was determined to win him over entirely, luckily his pants were easy to access; he shoved his hand inside before he had any more weak protests against it.

Trunks was beginning to moan, Gohan watching his face as he continued, he was flushed and panting. He looked almost innocent, but Gohan knew for a fact that this wasn't his first time, which made him feel a little better that he didn't have to hold back. Gohan pushed himself back before bending over to reach him, taking his length into his mouth.

Trunks slid down the wall, inadvertently giving Gohan better access to him, licking him and moving even faster. He began moving his hips upwards, getting louder and responding to Gohan's mouth and hands.

Gohan didn't expect much warning, he was used to that, but Trunks soon became uncontrollable, shaking as he came into his mouth. Gohan raised his head straight away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Seeing Trunks sprawled out in front of him seemed to settle his stomach a little, but he knew that he was far from finished.

"You were saying?" said Gohan, who couldn't hold back a rather devious smile.

"Uh... nothing," he panted, running his hand through his hair. He laughed to himself as he caught his breath, having no clue as to why he enjoyed that so much. Gohan wasted no time advancing again, crawling forwards on top of him and capturing his lips again. Trunks pushed him off until they were lying on their sides facing each other. Gohan was slowly pulling his shirt up, forcing him to move when he started yanking it over his head; if he had his strength, he wouldn't have hesitated to rip it off.

He began exploring his torso with his hands; he felt soft and warm, another thing that he wasn't used to, yet he was far from complaining. Trunks finally gave in to his instincts that seemed to have come out of nowhere, letting his hands begin to roam his body. He was still getting used to everything he was feeling, letting Gohan push him onto his back again so that he could explore his chest with his mouth.

"Where are you going?" he gasped, feeling Gohan trail his kisses lower again. Before he could get to what he was looking for again, Trunks pulled him back up by his arms into an embrace. Gohan pushed himself up to give Trunks access to his belt, it wasn't long before it was taken off, along with his shirt. Gohan rested himself on top of him, feeling his warm skin against his own, grinding his hips downwards.

Just as they got carried away again, they heard shouting coming from outside. They both breathed a sigh of relief when they realised that they were just soldiers running past. They found themselves laughing at the prospect of being caught, but Gohan was also feeling distracted by the constant churning of his stomach again.

"You're gorgeous," said Gohan, not realising how much he was staring at him. Trunks took his eyes from the door and looked up at him, not really knowing how to respond to that, he just had an overwhelming desire to have him as close as possible. He flipped them back over onto their sides, kissing him again and following what Gohan did to him before, placing his hand between his legs and rubbing him slowly. Trunks watched him intently as he began to moan, propping himself up on his elbow so that Gohan was almost underneath him.

Trunks slid his hand into Gohan's pants, observing his every move from then on. He was moaning to himself and writhing around under his hand, feeling Trunks' hair beginning to tickle his face as he leaned over him more. Gohan opened his eyes again, looking up at him; for a few seconds, reality seemed to come back to him. He wondered how the hell they got where they were, also wondering what Trunks was thinking. He felt another rush surge through his body again, which Trunks also seemed to feel.

Gohan suddenly flipped them over again, straddling him and leaning over to kiss his neck again, inhaling that intoxicating smell. Trunks moved his hands down his body hesitantly, latching onto his rather restless hips that continued to grind against him. He had a nagging feeling that things were going way too far, yet he couldn't bring himself to stop. He brought his right hand around to the front, diving into his pants again and carrying on where he left off.

Gohan pushed himself up and lifted his head, thrusting into his hand whilst grinding downwards. He wanted it to go even further, but Trunks had a tight hold on him for now, pumping him faster until he came onto his stomach. Gohan collapsed forwards onto him, panting heavily, his skin still tingling as he felt arms slide around his torso.

Trunks could sense it again, whatever was brewing inside Gohan came back even stronger, prompting him to move his hands downwards and grab onto his buttocks. Gohan giggled to himself, biting his lip as he moved one of his hands down as well, playing with his pants.

"You going to take these off?" he asked cheekily.

"If you want me to," he replied instantly, almost sounding nervous. They helped each other up, both of them still quivering from what was happening to them. Gohan watched him as he stood up, darting forwards and helping him pull down his pants until they were completely off. Trunks pulled him onto his feet into a passionate kiss, also pushing his pants down in return. He held him in his arms until he started laughing nervously out of nowhere. "What are we doing?"

"I don't know," whispered Gohan innocently, still kissing him and going to squeeze his behind. He needed to move things along quickly before he did anything too drastic, turning himself around so that he was facing away from him. Trunks seemed to understand straight away, rubbing himself against him; he also taken by Gohan's tail, which was relentlessly caressing his lower stomach. Gohan lured him forwards back onto the bed, bending over until he was on all fours with Trunks behind him.

"Gohan..."

"Yeah?" he said, grinding backwards just enough to get the right attention. He adjusted himself until he felt him pushing against his entrance, causing Trunks to gasp.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't."

"Are you sure?"

"I need you," he said, those words coming straight from the pit of his stomach as it reached a new level of pain. He immediately felt relief when he finally began pushing into him slowly. It didn't hurt him at all, surprisingly and something shot up his spine when he began moving in and out of him. He felt hands securing themselves to his hips as he went deeper, feeling him become more aggressive as he lost himself. It was as rough as Gohan was used to, but again, it was also different - he felt safe.

Trunks stopped for a few seconds to catch his breath, letting his hands roam his legs before making it's way up his back. He started again, it felt amazing, but at the same time, he felt anxious about not seeing Gohan's face. He didn't know what was going on. He pulled out, nudging his hips to one side until Gohan got the message to turn over.

Gohan lay there flat on his back as Trunks came towards him, sinking his teeth into Gohan's neck, but not so hard that it hurt him, just enough to make him arch his chest up against him. Gohan lifted his legs up a little more, giving him more access to go back into him. Trunks moaned into his ear, picking up speed and holding him as close as possible.

"Fuck me..." he panted, causing Trunks to pound harder, licking his neck. The churning in his stomach reached a crucial stage, the pain suddenly exploding into pleasure that seemed to move lower into his groin. Gohan begged him for more, digging his nails into his back and going harder until they both climaxed at the same time.

Trunks collapsed onto him, his body well and truly giving up for the night. Gohan wrapped his arms around him, now enjoying the calm, sleep threatening to take him over since the room was still dark part from a few green lights. His legs seemed to have stopped working completely, sinking into the bed as Trunks still lay between them.

After a few minutes, Trunks decided to move, pushing himself up and rolling onto his back, leaving Gohan feeling a little lost - he felt guilty, like he'd betrayed a certain nameless android. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel grateful that the pain was gone. The pair of them just lay there and stared at the ceiling.

"What just happened?" asked Trunks, finally coming back to reality. He felt oddly calm about it.

"We had sex..." replied Gohan bluntly, still trying to get his head around it himself. Now that the heat was fading again, he felt weird.

"Uh huh... why?" Trunks had too many questions for what should traditionally have been a quiet moment.

"Um... "

Gohan didn't know where to begin, he supposed telling him that he went into heat and that Trunks naturally responded to it didn't sound too bad in his head, but couldn't seem to get the words out at that moment. Trunks sat himself up slowly, his ribs obviously killing him more after what just occurred. Gohan watched him climb over him to stand up and put his pants back on.

 _Shit... shit!_ Gohan started to panic, what just happened may have just made things extremely awkward between them. He didn't know how Trunks felt, however, part of him didn't want to know just in case it was bad. Not to mention Cell, to whom he'd mentally promised to never sleep with anyone else. If he saw him again if they got out of here alive, then his reputation for being a bad liar was going to come back and bite him. Cell would be able to read him like a book as always. But then he wondered why he even gave a damn what the android would do if he found out, it's not like Cell really cared about him as a person.

Gohan suddenly had a flashback to the last time he died; Cell killed him, literally tore him apart merely for kissing Trunks. Now he was frightened of it happening again, maybe even worse than last time. The only thing he remembered from his last experience was Cell breaking his hand and smashing his head in - the android made the mistake of killing him too soon, a mistake he was sure that he wouldn't make again. Left with those terrifying thoughts, he sat up , grabbing his pants off the floor to put them on, sheepishly watching as Trunks put his ear to the door.

"I don't think they heard anything."

"I'm sorry," said Gohan abruptly.

"For what?"

"I couldn't help it..." he muttered, trying not to sound stupid.

"Me neither," said Trunks, shrugging and giving him a reassuring smile.

"I should've said something before I..."

"Chances are, it would've happened no matter what you'd have said."

Trunks walked over, sitting next to him on the edge of the bed.

"You seem... oddly okay about this," remarked Gohan, finally looking at him. He was so sure that his cheeks were burning, he had no idea why he'd just become shy.

"Would you feel better if I freaked out?," said Trunks, not really knowing what to say. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy every second of it. Gohan found himself looking away, smiling like an absolute idiot and chewing his lip. "Did you say I was gorgeous?"

"Yeah... sorry about that too," said Gohan, looking back at him. "Not that you aren't... you are... I mean... I'll shut up now." Gohan stopped himself from jabbering on any longer, digging himself even deeper into this awkward hole, but his heart jumped when he felt Trunks' head lean on his shoulder in response, along with a laugh. "Are you okay?" he asked, not daring to move.

"It just feels good to be close to someone," said Trunks, closing his eyes. Gohan hesitantly rested his own head on Trunks' and breathed a deep content sigh. It was as if Trunks understood how they both felt as a whole. He couldn't believe how different it was to his usual experiences; there wasn't any pain or misery, it was just the two of them escaping for a while without any hostility.

"You mean while you've been in here, or in general?"

"Both, I guess."

"Been a while?" he asked, not meaning to sound so forthright. Trunks just laughed, maintaining his coolness about it all as he sat up again. Gohan instantly missed his warmth.

"You could say that. There was someone back home for a while but it didn't really work out," he said.

"A girl?"

"Yeah."

"Was she your first?"

"Why are you so interested?" asked Trunks, shooting him a curious smile. Gohan just shrugged. "There was another girl before her. That one was pretty embarrassing. My mother hated her."

"Your mother's going to hate anybody you date. Whatever happens, at least your first couldn't be any worse than mine."

"Sorry to ask, but... how did that even..." asked Trunks carefully. "I mean... "

"It kind of just happened. It was pretty awkward afterwards."

"Like us now?" laughed Trunks.

"No, this is actually quite nice. Just talking. It can get pretty lonely in here."

"Oh crap," blurted Trunks, sitting up again.

"What?"

"We didn't use anything," he said, running his hand through his hair.

"Well, I'm clean as far as I know," laughed Gohan, watching Trunks stop panicking. "... Are you?"

"Of course I am," he said defensively, returning to his cool demeanor once he realised that it was a joke. Gohan finally put his shirt and belt on again.

"Think they've forgot about us?" asked Gohan after a long, relaxing pause.

"I don't mind if they have, to be honest."

Gohan was blushing again, luckily it couldn't be seen thanks to the dimly lit room they were in. He took a chance, letting his head fall to rest on Trunks' shoulder. He closed his eyes when Trunks put his arm around him and pulled him closer. Gohan had a sudden desire to kiss him again, but there wasn't any heat behind it this time, he just wanted to be close to him.

"We should try and get some sleep, I guess," said Trunks. He paused and laughed to himself when they both realised just how small the bed was.

"I think we've officially shared worse," joked Gohan, still staring at him.

Trunks adjusted himself as he lay down on his back, pulling Gohan down to rest on top of him to his right, where his ribs weren't broken. Gohan placed his hand onto his chest before raising his head. He didn't know why he was pushing it, but he leaned in again, kissing him softly on the cheek. Trunks turned his head to look at him, seeing that he was already doing the same. Gohan kissed him softly, his heart fluttering when he responded.

"This that heat again?" he whispered, brushing their lips together with a smile.

"No... just me," he said hesitantly, trying not to let on that he still felt rather attracted to him despite reverting to his regular self again. Trunks lifted his head up a little, just enough to bite onto Gohan's lower lip. It was enough of a giveaway that he was okay with it, so Gohan carried on kissing him slowly.

"Wait," said Trunks quietly, Gohan pulling back a little. "What are we doing?"

"Escaping," answered Gohan, echoing what Cell had said to him before he was captured. Gohan still felt attracted to Trunks, despite the lack of saiyan instincts, he was enjoying being close to him way more than he should. He leaned in again, this time nuzzling into his neck, leaving Trunks staring at the ceiling while he thought about everything that had just happened between them; he regretted none of it, since he'd felt so desperately alone for weeks, but he still couldn't help but feel guilty that Gohan was the only way out of his loneliness for the time being. "There's nothing stopping us, right now."

"I'm not going to use you," said Trunks, looking at him as he lifted his head back up. "I'm not him."

"Who said anything about using? We're just forgetting where we are for a while."

Trunks actually held him closer after he said that, missing his mentor more than ever, but also glad that he had the present Gohan safe in his arms where he could protect him. Gohan kissed him again, Trunks giving into him instantly. It wasn't long before Gohan caught his full attention with the way he was moving. Trunks pulled him fully on top of him.

"Were you planning on sleeping?" asked Gohan, feeling him grind up against him.

"Not really... I don't sleep much," he answered, closing his eyes. Gohan felt himself smile as he trailed his lips along his neck, still moving against him.

"Me neither..."

Trunks was reaching a point of no longer caring what anyone else would have though of them at that moment, his hands moving down to Gohan's hips to pull them as close to his as possible, only to wince in pain just as they were getting lost in each other. His hand went straight to his ribs, which reminded him that they were still broken. He sighed when the pain passed again, laughing a little to himself and rolling his eyes.

"Should I move? Am I hurting you?" asked Gohan, moving off him anyway to his other side.

"It's fine. I'm fine," he said, getting comfy again. Trunks was clearly still fragile after his torture, his body still trying to heal itself among the sedatives that were in his system. Gohan lay down next to him on his side, propping himself up on his elbow and rest his head in his hand.

"Is this weird?" he asked nervously out of nowhere.

"What?"

"This... with me."

"Um..." Trunks didn't know how to answer without offending him.

"You were close to me in an alternate universe. I was your mentor, right? So... is it weird?" said Gohan, not explaining himself well. He was curious to know, also not wanting to continue what they were doing if it was hurting Trunks to do so.

"Honestly, I see you and the Gohan I knew as two completely different people," said Trunks. "The Gohan from my time was like an older brother to me, but he's gone now, and I know that you're not him. It's like you're separate people with the same name." Gohan was about to open his mouth and ask how Trunks felt about him, holding back when he realised that he didn't want to know. "What just happened... it's not weird. Just different."

"Tell me about it," mumbled Gohan.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one that this feels new to."

"It feels a little odd," he said. "It feels like I'm waiting for something bad."

"Is that what he does to you?"

"He usually waited long enough for me to relax, then he'd turn on me. Recently, I've got to a point where I'm just constantly afraid that he's going to do something. The weird thing is, it's worse when he does nothing. It's a huge game that I keep playing with him over and over, but I'm never going to win."

"It's his way of controlling you. It's what androids live for, causing fear."

"I'm waiting for you to hurt me," confessed Gohan. "I know that you're not going to... but -"

"I don't play games. I never have." Gohan rested his head on Trunks' shoulder, finally feeling himself relax after being so tense and worried.

"What do you want to do now? Something tells me that they haven't fixed the problem yet," said Gohan, referring to the fact that they were still sat in a dimly lit darkness.

"Well, what do you usually do when you're alone?"

"Stuff that I want to save for when I actually am alone... I'd rather make the most of having some company."

"Glad that I'm such good company," laughed Trunks.

"Yeah... really good... " Gohan trailed off before he spoke his mind entirely. Trunks picked up on what he actually meant and laughed again.

"Oh, we really shouldn't have done that," he laughed again as he shook his head, Gohan joining in.

"I know. We're bad," he said with a smile. Gohan finally lay back down properly, closing his eyes, trying not to think about the possible consequences of his actions; he could still feel Cell watching him, little did he know that the android was even further away from him right now than he thought.

 **Yeah, another idea I've been playing with for a while. No, it's still not a love story. I don't know what's happening with it yet... opinions?**

 **Please review!**


	11. Saiyan Stuff

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 11: SAIYAN STUFF**

 _-Flashback-_

 _Gohan had actually lost himself in the moment for once, no longer worrying about the dragon ball that they had yet to find, no longer thinking about the life that was growing inside him. He just lay on his back, moaning softly as the android continued thrusting into him. Cell just stared down at him, well aware that Gohan had finally let go of all of his imminent concerns, along with the many other not so imminent ones._

 _Cell was caught by surprise when Gohan pushed himself up, flipping them over to straddle him. They smiled at each other as Gohan lowered himself onto Cell, carrying on where they left off, rocking back and forth on top of him. Cell was rather enjoying the view, placing his hands on his hips to control his movements more to his liking. He listened to the sounds coming from him, as well as observing his facial expression which came across as almost joyous, as if he was embracing being free from his thoughts. The android didn't want that, so he decided to strike now. The naked half saiyan was literally at his most vulnerable at that moment._

 _"Stop a second," said Cell, halting him by gripping onto his hips._

 _"What is it?" panted Gohan, still smiling down at him._

 _"Nothing, it's just... I'm a little uncomfortable."_

 _"Why?" asked Gohan, leaning down to get closer to him. "I thought you liked pain." Cell let out a pretend grunt of discomfort as Gohan came closer. "What's wrong?"_

 _"You."_

 _"Me?"_

 _"You're crushing me."_

 _"What?" Gohan tried not to look too offended by that remark. He didn't see how he was doing anything different to what he usually did, or how someone who could probably lift a mountain would find him heavy. Cell grunted again._

 _"We'll have to do this another way..."_

 _Cell pushed Gohan off him, getting behind him and positioning him on all fours._

 _"That's much better."_

 _"I don't understand..."_

 _"You may be with child, but you should know better than to let yourself go like that."_

 _"What?"_

 _It was safe to say that Gohan's feelings were hurt, he didn't think he was showing that much, he was only six weeks gone after all, but Cell's subtle comments about his weight seemed to upset him more than he thought possible. He was ripped out of his thoughts when Cell went back into him, carrying on as if nothing had been said at all._

 _Then he heard somebody crying. He didn't know where it was coming from, nor did it make him stop what he was doing, it was like he was stuck there anyway. /the cries gradually got louder until he could finally make out what was being said... it sounded like himself._

 _"Please stop!"_

 _-End Flashback-_

* * *

Gohan's eyes opened suddenly, still locked in that dark room, his heart still beating quickly. He had no idea why that particular memory came back to him while he was sleeping. It still hurt his feelings even now, but he couldn't recall where the crying had suddenly come from.

There was still no movement with the situation. Gohan didn't know how long he and Trunks had been locked in there, since Gohan had slept for what felt like a few hours. He'd woken up to find that Trunks had drifted off himself at some point; Gohan spent the next half hour lying there watching him sleep, trying to convince himself that he didn't still find him alluring.

He sat up a little when he heard more shouting coming from the corridors outside. They were still sat in darkness, with two small green lights above the door as their only source of light. He sighed with relief when the soldiers seemed to just go past them. But then he heard a strange noise coming from behind him. He turned to see Trunks with his eyes squeezed shut, his head tossing and turning.

"Trunks?"

Gohan went to wake him gently shaking him by his shoulder rather than grabbing onto him harshly; he didn't know whether he was already being held down in his nightmares.

"Trunks! Wake up!"

Trunks' eyes shot open as he sat up quickly, his breathing ragged.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah... I think so," he panted, lying back down again.

"What the hell were you dreaming about? Must have been bad," said Gohan, watching him run his hand through his hair as reality slowly set back in. Gohan suddenly felt bad for asking, seeing how disoriented he looked. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"No, it's fine. Just night terrors. I've always had them."

"This why you don't sleep much?"

"Every time I close my eyes I still see them. Even though they're dead now."

"The androids?"

"Those fears never really went away," sighed Trunks. This didn't give Gohan much hope of his own nightmares going away. If Trunks was still having them years after he destroyed the androids the what chance did he have of getting over his own fears? Trunks pushed himself upright, his ribs not bothering him as much as they were the day before; he stood up and walked towards the sink on the other side of the room to wash his face.

Gohan stood up himself, making use of his legs and stretching his back out.

"Man, there really must be a problem out there if we're still stuck."

He turned to look at Trunks, who was leaning over the sink, but staring at him oddly.

"What?" he said nervously, Trunks snapping out of it as soon as he asked.

"Sorry, I shouldn't..." he trailed off, shaking his head and pushing himself upright again.

"Shouldn't what?" Gohan was curious to know what he was thinking, feeling his heart start to beat faster out of anticipation.

"Be thinking about you... like that."

"I don't mind," he shrugged.

"I don't want to freak you out."

"You're not," said Gohan, smiling at how nervous Trunks had become since he brought it up. He held his hand out to him; Trunks looked at him then hesitantly took it, Gohan pulling him into an embrace. He closed his eyes as Trunks held onto him tighter, feeling himself sink into him.

Gohan was still blocking his instincts to be afraid of him. After being with Cell for so long, he was still feeling a false sense of security, expecting Trunks to turn on him and start hitting him. Whenever Cell sensed that Gohan was too relaxed around him, it was then that he'd start abusing him, either physically or mentally, sometimes even both. The more he thought about the android, the more he felt scared even though he wasn't anywhere near him. While he was here in Trunks' arms, Cell couldn't hurt him, or that's what he was hoping.

"How are your ribs?" he asked, still resting his head on Trunks' shoulder and enjoying his warmth.

"Oh, um, a lot better actually."

"That's surprising." Gohan pulled back again, both letting go of each other, only for Gohan to see how uneasy Trunks was looking. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just..."

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, I..." he answered, finally looking at him. "I'm almost ten years older than you. I feel like I took advantage of you."

"Well, technically speaking, I'm almost ten years older than _you_ ," laughed Gohan. "And, I think I was the one taking advantage, I should have said something before it happened. I'd been going through that heat for almost a day, I thought I could control myself but..."

"I wasn't exactly struggling," said Trunks, now leaning against the sink.

"I never wanted it to stop." Gohan had only just realised that what he just said was only supposed to be a thought, immediately clamming up when he saw Trunks look at him again with an unreadable expression. "Everything kind of made sense for more than five seconds and I didn't want that to end."

"Me neither," said Trunks, looking at the floor, his arms crossed over his chest.

"So... what happens now?"

"I've no idea."

Trunks was still staring at the floor, trying not to think about anything outside of that room, but also scared of thinking about what was happening right now. He finally snapped out of it when he felt Gohan place his hand on his arm, raising his head to look at him. They both decided to sit down on the bed again, leaning against the wall. They sat there in silence for a while before Trunks noticed a strange, deep breath sounds coming from his right.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Breathing," answered Gohan with a smile.

"Does it help?"

"Yeah surprisingly. Stops me from doing anything stupid."

"How's all that going, by the way?" asked Trunks, feeling a little guilty for not being there for him.

"I think I've relapsed twice in three months," he said, with an uneasy look on his face. "Almost three times, and I think I've thought about doing it more times than I can count."

"Don't feel bad about it. Just pick yourself up again," said Trunks.

"I still can't seem to take these stupid things off either, no matter what," said Gohan, picking at his wrist bands.

"I noticed." Trunks seemed to take a deep breath as well as if he was gearing up for something. "I'll make you a deal if you want."

"Yeah?"

"You show me yours, and I'll show you mine," he said, staring ahead before looking at Gohan's confused expression.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking worried. Trunks' moved his hands to his pants, pulling them down a little over to his right, leaving Gohan shocked; it seemed that Trunks had his own dark secrets too - he had self inflicted scars all over his hip.

"Believe me when I say that you can stop."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Gohan, not meaning to reach out and trace his fingers over them, either way, Trunks didn't seem to mind.

"It didn't seem like a right time to at first. And then I never got the chance after you disappeared."

"I always wondered how you coped living in a world like this all your life without breaking."

"I broke years ago. There's your proof."

"Was it after Gohan? When it started?"

Trunks nodded.

"I was fourteen, all alone in the world with the androids still causing mayhem. It was my way of coping with that feeling. It was like I was -"

"Powerless?"

"Yeah."

"Must be an even worse feeling for people like us. All the power in the universe, but we still can't do anything to help."

Trunks covered himself up again, looking down at Gohan's hands.

"Your turn."

Gohan sighed. He really didn't want to take them off, they were like his security blanket, hiding his true self from the world. He hesitantly removed the left wristband, the side he most frequently went for during his episodes, staring straight at the damaged, deformed skin underneath. His breathing started to become uneven, this was even scarier than Cell was to him, as crazy as it sounded.

"They look like burns, I've done it so much," he gasped, being able to make out the tiny details despite there not being much light. Trunks looked at them too, though undisturbed by them; they were much worse than his. Gohan snapped out of his anxiety when he felt a warm hand on his forearm, slowly sliding upwards to his scars.

He was apprehensive at first, getting ready to hit the roof if he moved any further, but looked at Trunks when he started to speak.

"When you spend so much time not looking in your closet because you're scared of the monster that might be in there, you don't realise that when you finally feel brave enough to look inside, it was just a old jacket all along."

"It's a pretty scary jacket."

"It doesn't feel that scary."

Gohan's eyes darted down to his wrist to see that Trunks was tracing over his scars with his fingers the whole time, and he hadn't even noticed. Gohan let himself let out a huge sigh of relief. Old jacket indeed.

"I'd like to know how you do that."

"Do what?"

"Make me feel better without really doing anything," said Gohan, both of them still staring at each other. Trunks had since slipped his hand into Gohan's, still feeling his scars against his own skin.

"Years of practice."

Gohan only just about took in his answer, feeling odd as he stared into those piercing blue eyes, the events of the night before flashing through his head; he could have quite happily stayed in this little bubble forever. He wanted to kiss him, their faces seemed to be getting gradually closer together anyway as it seemed.

"Odd..." he whispered, his heart beating faster the longer Trunks stared at him... like that. "I've never seen you like this before. Until last night."

"Like what?"

"You know... loose." Gohan began to feel nervous, but in a good way. He was just praying that his cheeks didn't look as on fire as they felt. Trunks let out a small laugh himself upon hearing that; little did Gohan know that Trunks was trying not to give in to what he was feeling, though it was a rather poor effort to say the least. Whatever connection he'd made with Gohan the night before was still there, and he had a feeling that it was mutual.

"You thought I was loose?" he said, smiling back at him. "I was terrified!"

"Really?" said Gohan, surprised by his honesty. "It was kind of strange seeing you not serious about something," he laughed nervously, now being completely honest himself. "I thought you were unwinding for a second there."

"I suppose I did a little," he shrugged, still smiling; it was contagious, yet Gohan couldn't put his finger on what Trunks was really feeling at that moment. He always came across as genuine, yet tense at the same time. Gohan was finding it interesting that it all seemed to be a front. He snapped out of his thoughts, noticing that they were edging even closer, their foreheads almost touching, even noticing that warm hand still in his own.

"Felt like more than a little to me," said Gohan, finally letting go of his hand, only to place his on Trunks' chest. He didn't react to it, though kept up his unreadable stare. Gohan could feel something stirring in the pit of his stomach, it made him feel a bit nauseous, but he stayed calm, knowing that it was anticipation rather than fear.

"You've seen nothing yet." Trunks had no idea where that suddenly came from, but felt an odd sense of satisfaction when he heard Gohan's breathing become faster. Gohan's eyes widen slightly. _Is he... flirting with me?_

"Yet?" Gohan felt his stomach do what he could only describe as a flutter, which seemed to be moving lower as Trunks traced his fingers over his lips before tilting his head to one side. Gohan watched him intently as he came forwards, the skin on his neck tingling as he felt it being kissed tenderly. He gripped onto Trunks' shirt tightly, trying to hold himself back to see how this was going to play out; he had an overwhelming urge to lean forwards himself to taste his skin. That smell was becoming even more intoxicating than it was before.

Gohan felt him move upwards, planting a deep kiss just under his ear. He wasn't expecting this at all, but somehow managed to keep his hands above his waist, still firmly attached to his shirt. He was biting his lip hard.

"You sure you want to let me loose?" whispered Trunks, Gohan feeling him smile against the side of his face.

"I'm sure..." said Gohan, trying to suppress an off-putting giggle from escaping his mouth; he turned his head to meet his face as he pulled back, staring back to see nothing but desire in his eyes, but then there was also a slight hint of anxiety and confusion. Gohan understood those feelings more than anyone - he used to look at Cell like that. _Used to? Still do? I don't know anymore._

"How do you cope with these feelings?" asked Trunks, not moving from where he was. He hadn't the faintest idea where his instincts were coming from, he'd never really been controlled by his own saiyan blood before now; he'd always been rather mellow, acting more like a human, much like Gohan used to until now. A huge part of him didn't like these new animalistic tendencies, but the more Gohan's eyes reflected what he was feeling, the better he felt about it. The mutual interest between them was almost reassuring.

Gohan took a risk, closing the gap between them and softly pressing their lips together. He was smiling inside, even more so when he realised that Trunks was responding to him.

What little resolve Trunks had left finally fell apart as Gohan turned to face him properly, deepening the kiss even more. Trunks' hand was on his face for a moment, slowly moving down to his chest, and then to his stomach. Gohan was disappointed when he suddenly pulled back, confused by the puzzled look on Trunks' face.

"What's that?" asked Trunks, looking down at his hand. Gohan's eyes followed to where he was staring, his heart jumping when he felt where he was feeling. "Can you sense that?"

Trunks sensed Gohan's obvious reluctance to communicate with him when he sighed as if he'd been caught out. But instead of shutting down, he decided to tell him; he had nowhere to hide this time.

"I have to tell you something, and you have to promise not to freak out," he said quickly, the first step being the hardest as usual. "And I'm only telling you all of this because I trust you."

Gohan didn't mean to say that last part, it was meant to be a thought. But he did trust him, especially after what they just did together.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Do you remember back when Goten kind of walked in on me and C-Cell?" Gohan struggled to say his name, now more terrified of him than ever, and it didn't go unnoticed by Trunks.

"Oh... yeah," said Trunks, trying not to look uncomfortable about the memory of the look on Chi Chi's face.

"That was my first heat," he said, biting his lip. "Something happened that day. I don't know if you know much about saiyans with that kind of stuff."

"He made an awkward attempt to," laughed Trunks.

"A few weeks later after we left you guys at the lab, something was different. I caught myself in the mirror one night, and my body looked weird."

"Weird how?"

Gohan sighed and stood up, lifting his shirt to reveal his small bump.

"I'm surprised you didn't notice when we were..."

"What am I looking at?" asked Trunks, confused since he didn't really look any different; then again, he hadn't seen him without his shirt much until now.

"Vegeta obviously didn't explain that far, did he?" sighed Gohan, seeing how confused he looked. "I'm pregnant."

"What?!"

He pulled his shirt down again, sitting down next to him as he got his head around it.

"How?!" Gohan shot him a look as if to say 'what do you think?'. "Sorry, it's just..."

"I have to say, that's still a better reaction than mine. I went straight for the self destruct button."

"That's what I'm sensing? A baby?"

"Well... yeah, I've never really referred to her like that before."

"Her? How do you now what it is, you can't be that far along, I didn't even notice it until now."

"I'm about three months, which is apparently half way through. I don't really know why I'm not showing. Maybe it's so I can still defend myself. It's grown a little, but not that much."

"So I'm guessing that's why Frieza hasn't laid a hand on you."

"Yet. He's waiting until I've had her. Then he'll probably use me up like he promised."

"Don't I know it. I even tried to offer myself to him once so that he wouldn't go near you." Trunks didn't know why he blurted that out.

"Really? You shouldn't have just given yourself up like that."

"I didn't think that I was ever getting out of here. I'm apparently to human looking for him anyway," said Trunks, gesturing towards his hair.

"He's not going to touch me for at least another three months. At least it gives us time to figure a way out of here."

"You know, I'd long since given up on that idea. But having you here is giving me some kind of hope."

"Glad to hear it. Because I'm not letting that happen to me again." Trunks' heart sank when he saw the tortured look in Gohan's eyes when he said that, remembering when he revealed what Cell did to him a few months ago. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," said Trunks. "Are you?"

"Yeah..." Gohan's voice sounded uneasy, which Trunks picked up on immediately. Cell was right; he was a terrible liar.

"What's bothering you?"

"This kind of..." Gohan took a deep breath, deciding to be honest since he seemed to be on a roll right now. "It feels like I'm having an affair..."

"I know what you mean."

"He's always going to be there isn't he? Like the androids are with you. Except you never fucked any of them."

"You're really having a kid..." said Trunks, his brain not engaging with his mouth as he was still getting over the shock of it.

"Yeah. It's scary. Even more scary that I might be having her in here. And it's even worse that I don't know what to expect... how am I going to give birth? I don't know how this is all supposed to work. The only people around who could possibly know are Vegeta and Frieza. And I don't want to have to ask Frieza," sighed Gohan.

"I can't really help you there either. My father tried to explain some saiyan stuff to me when your tail grew back, but that was a conversation that neither of us wanted to mention ever again."

"What did he say?"

"Mostly that you'd become unpredictable. Guess he was right about that."

"Tell me about it," said Gohan, going over the past year in his head. "I think this tail thing might come in handy in getting us out of here. But I need a mirror."

"You've lost me..."

"We're both half and half, right? Ever since since my tail grew back, those halves have split into two different people."

"Split personality?"

"Yeah, recently they've become completely separate. So much that I think I've actually spoken to my saiyan half as if he was standing in front of me."

"I think I've met your saiyan half before haven't I?"

Gohan nodded. "Sorry if he offended you in any way back then, by the way."

"Well I kind of figured that you weren't really yourself," said Trunks, that reassuring smile of his getting under Gohan's skin, but in a good way.

"I need some way of seeing my own reflection to I can talk to him again. The last couple of times it's happened were completely random. I need to find a way to bring him out, but also a way for me to come back afterwards."

"Have you tried filling your sink with water?"

"There's no plug in my prison cell. Which is pretty typical, really."

Trunks pushed himself up onto his feet, heading straight for the sink, finding exactly what he'd hoped. Gohan's face seemed to light up when Trunks picked it up, tossing it over to him.

"I hope this works."

"Better hide it on you, somewhere it won't fall out when they drag you away."

Gohan did so, stuffing it into the waistband of his pants.

"He won't leave without me, will he?" asked Trunks. "If he finds a way out."

"I doubt it somehow," said Gohan, throwing him a cheeky smile, also feeling his cheeks burn again. Trunks suddenly delved into laughter, bringing Gohan with him.

"This has been the craziest few hours of my life."

Gohan just smiled, but they were both dragged back to reality when all the lights suddenly came back on...

 **Please Review!**


	12. The Silent Treatment

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 12: THE SILENT TREATMENT**

Gohan knew that what he was currently thinking about wasn't the main issue right now. What mattered was bringing his saiyan half out to finally escape from Frieza. But all that was surging through him right now was guilt.

As soon as the lights came on again a few hours back, he and Trunks heard shouting from outside again, hearing the soldiers say that they had about fifteen minutes before their sedatives had worn off completely. If only they didn't fixed the problem so quickly, he wouldn't have had to go digging around in the depths of his own brain. They dragged both of them out of the cell straight away, marching them in opposite directions back to their original cells.

He didn't know about Trunks, but as soon as Gohan got thrown back into his cell, there was also a tray of food put onto his bed as well before they locked him inside; he was so hungry that it didn't stay there for long, but soon regretted it when he felt the sedatives regain their hold over him. But what else could he possibly do? Starve himself? Not with somebody else depending on him.

Gohan literally sat there for the next six hours thinking, something that always ended badly for him. He was playing with the sink plug that Trunks gave to him, as if it was a memento of some kind, even though it could be the key to their escape.

But the guilt came back again as soon as he felt the urge to stand up to test his theory. As soon as he left that room, that little bubble of ignorance that he was locked in with Trunks had burst and he fell back into reality. The full realisation of his infidelity finally hit him, and all he could think about was Cell, and losing count of exactly how many pieces the android would cut him into if he ever found out - w _hen_ he found out; Cell would most definitely see it in his face right away. And then he also thought about the potential danger that he'd put Trunks in as well.

Gohan didn't know what would be better for him - carry on enduring Frieza's relentless torture, or suffer the full impact of Cell's wrath, the latter being the worst possible option since he had seen Cell at his most furious; Gohan didn't technically live to tell the tale.

Speaking of wrath... what would his friends and family think of this recent development? What on earth would his mother say now? Comment on how reckless he was to sleep with someone else? Or would she be relieved that it happened to be Trunks? Someone she could trust. Or would she still trust him after this? He knew for a fact that if Cell didn't kill them first, then Vegeta probably would. But at least Vegeta sussed out his pregnancy before everything that took place, or else that would have been an awkward accusation for poor Trunks.

His thoughts went back to Cell, cursing his chest for aching at the thought of him. He was the one person that he needed right now. Whenever his thoughts were racing like they were now, when it was too much for him to handle, he always turned to Cell to get away from them. But now he was locked in a room with them. Gohan desperately missed him, even though he knew that he would most likely receive a beating for playing away, constantly remind him that he tried to save Gohan before Frieza knocked him out of the way.

The memory of Cell's most recent assault suddenly came back to him. _He tried to kill her._ The guilt seemed to fade a little when he remembered the pain and the grief that he felt when he thought she was dead. Even with the great deal of love he still had for the android, he could never forgive the attempt he made on their child's life as if it was all just a game. _Do I really love him? How could I love someone who would do that to me?_ Gohan's eyes widened as if they were finally opening for the first time, but he kept on arguing with himself. _I've told him that I love him without even thinking about it first... that must mean that I do, right?_

Gohan let out a growl, grabbing his head and pulling on his hair. He needed Cell there with him right now, but then Trunks popped back into his head; another memory came back of Trunks lying under him, his eyes piercing right through him. It prompted a similar ache in his chest, which left Gohan more confused than ever. What was going to happen when he saw Cell? Would he feel okay again? Did he feel okay with him in the first place? Would it be the same after he'd slept with somebody else? Especially someone he already had a great deal of care for.

 _Okay... breathe... just breathe._ Those deep breathing sounds came back as he finally stood up. He walked over to the sink, putting the plug in place and turning on the tap. _So... what the hell was that supposed to be last night? Because that wasn't just heat, there was something else going on there._ Gohan was desperately denying that something else was indeed going on, trying to persuade himself that it was just remnants from the heat itself; but he didn't see how that was possible since all the heats he experienced ended abruptly - including this one, he just didn't want to admit it. _Then what was going through Trunks' head? Why was he still interested in me?_

Gohan snapped out of it, turning the tap off again when he saw the sink get a little too full. Why did he even keep going anyway? Was Trunks just a rebound after feeling abandoned by Cell? _No! That's horrible!_ It was the only explanation, or was it? Gohan remembered that he did have a humiliating crush on him when he was younger, but always shrugged it off, assuming that it was out of simple admiration. He had no idea how Trunks really felt about him, he knew that he cared a great deal for him. Gohan recalled Trunks once saying to him that he did care about him, but it was nothing more than that. _Things change..._ Can they really change that much that fast? What about Cell? What about this child? _Why am I wasting time?!_

He looked down into the sink, defeated when all he could see was the white basin, no reflection. _Great..._ He clicked; he needed something dark to put in the sink. Gohan looked over to the pile of disposable clothes in the corner that were left for him. He decided to change into some of them, since his gi needed a good wash anyway. He dressed quickly, throwing his old clothes on the floor except his shirt, which he stuffed into the sink. It sank into the water, due to it being slightly weighted. He took a deep breath, looking at his reflection for the first time in weeks.

* * *

-Two weeks later-

Still nothing. Two weeks now, and nothing.

Gohan gave up for the day, staring at his own reflection was tedious - and difficult enough without having to do it all day, every day. He sat back down on his bed in his dark blue clothes which felt a lot like a cross between fabric and paper. What now? Why wasn't it working? Did he have to be in a certain state of mind to bring his saiyan half through? He didn't think that being frustrated but otherwise calm was the right way to be if he wanted this to work.

He needed a trigger, but didn't know that he was going to regret asking for one very soon when two Frieza's soldiers burst into his cell.

"Lord Frieza wants to see you! Better prepare yourself for the worst, kid!"

* * *

Gohan didn't have time for the nerves and fear to set in as he was marched through corridors of the base, the cold floor stinging his bare feet. He was suddenly turned left and thrown into a room, containing three soldiers - and Frieza himself.

"Close the door behind you."

"Yes, Lord Frieza."

Gohan was left alone with them, standing awkwardly by himself in the middle of the room. There wasn't much in there apart from a few computers.

"Well, now that I've left you to rot for a while, I think it's time we got on with things," snarled Frieza, Gohan hitting the wall that he didn't realise he was backing into.

Frieza walked over to him slowly, his smirk growing wider as he got closer. Stopping in front of him, Gohan looked at him, deciding that there was no point in cowering away, Frieza knew he was scared, there was no need to give him more satisfaction by showing it.

"Now, as unintelligent as you monkeys are, I think you have a couple more brain cells than most - which is why I think you'll cooperate nicely on this."

"On what?" asked Gohan, still not moving from the wall.

"I'm going to ask you something, and if you know what's good for you, you are going to tell me the truth. Where are the dragon balls?"

"You seriously think I'm that stupid?"

Gohan's head snapped to the right, his cheek stinging from the slap that he earned. But he looked back at Frieza with no expression. Being hit for no reason wasn't new to him; sadly, he was used to it.

"Obviously you are! Where are they?"

Gohan's silence didn't necessarily anger Frieza, the tyrant expected his resistance - all the more reason to beat him and torment him until he did get an answer.

"The silent treatment, huh? And you were such a mouthy brat before. Maybe locking you up had whittled you down and put you in your place."

Frieza wasn't feeling as patient as he wanted to be, just Gohan merely standing in front of him made him angry. All he could see was Cell all over him, and he could still sense that blasted child inside him; as expected, he couldn't see much evidence to suggest that the saiyan was half way through his pregnancy. He came closer, seizing the boy by his hair causing him to yelp.

"Don't worry, I'm going to spare your child since I have plans for her - I'm guessing you and Cell wouldn't have given her much notice anyway," he sneered, throwing Gohan down to the floor - Gohan was angry at that comment. "Now, where are the dragon balls?"

"Get bent!" he spat. Frieza lost his temper for a second, kicking him in the face. Gohan was only thankful that it was only his face and calmed down, not wanting to put his child in unnecessary danger just to see the pissed off look on Frieza's face for a few seconds. Already used to being hit so much, he knew that he was bleeding.

"You must be keeping them somewhere. None of my equipment is able to pick up their signal anymore, so you must be protecting them."

Gohan kept himself from spewing anymore obscene insults at Frieza, trying to push himself onto his feet; the sedatives had been in his system for so long that one kick felt like someone had thrown a house at him.

"That woman of Vegeta's, the one who previously lived in this place before I made it my own. She must have some up with some sort of cloaking device which is blocking their signal. That must be it, since you saiyans are too simple minded to figure something like that out by yourselves."

Frieza placed his foot onto Gohan's back, pushing the boy back onto the floor. He pressed down in the middle of his spine until he got a vocal reaction from him.

"So, are you going to enlighten me, saiyan?"

"I'm not telling you anything!" he grunted, finding it difficult to draw breath due to his chest being crushed against the hard floor.

"I didn't think you would in all honesty. Cell was right about you after all."

 _Cell was right about what?_ Now Gohan was starting to panic. Just what had Cell told Frieza? The android new everything there was to know about him... well _almost_ everything.

"He told me all about your battle five years ago when he first showed up in Hell. It's useless to torture somebody like you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" growled Gohan, as Frieza lifted his foot off the boy. Gohan struggled to his feet again, Frieza smirking at him - he was up to something. Gohan knew that look.

"You refuse to respond to any pain that's inflicted on you, you don't care about yourself as long as everybody else is okay. The only way to get to you... is through something you care deeply about."

Gohan's eyes widened, his right hand instinctively placing itself over his stomach.

"You're not touching her."

"I wasn't talking about her. Like I said, I have no intention of killing your child, especially since it'll kill you as well in the process. We wouldn't want that, would we?" said Frieza, laughing to himself as he soaked in Gohan's terror. "I knew slapping you around wouldn't work, I just did it to warm myself up for the _real_ fun. Bring him here!"

Gohan was waiting for one of the three soldiers to come over and drag him towards Frieza, but they stayed where they were, all of them in a different corner of the room, tall and muscular, as well as mean and ruthless looking. The door to the room opened and someone else was shoved into the room, someone in the same disposable clothing as his.

"Trunks?" he gasped.

Trunks raised his head, looking at Gohan through his long hair which had now grown past his shoulders during his confinement. He didn't expect Gohan to be in here too, he just thought that Frieza wanted to beat him to a pulp again for no real reason. He immediately felt angered when he saw the bright, bleeding bruise forming on Gohan's left cheek.

"Gohan, are you okay?"

"I believe Gohan's welfare is the least of your problems," taunted Frieza, stood opposite them with his arms folded across his chest.

Before Trunks had a chance to answer him back, as well as go over to Gohan, he was grabbed from behind, the soldier holding his arms firmly behind him.

"What are you doing?!" cried Gohan. He darted forwards to help him, but he was pulled back by the second soldier and held by his arms. Then it hit him - Frieza was going to use Trunks to get him to talk. Frieza chuckled as he walked in front of him, looking at Trunks ominously.

"Looks like you've healed up nicely, Trunks."

Gohan expected Trunks to do what he did in a time of crisis - look at the ceiling until the problem went away, but he didn't - he was staring Frieza in the eye. He actually admired him for a second before Frieza turned from Trunks to look at him.

"Where are you keeping those dragon balls, then?"

"Don't tell him, Gohan," said Trunks calmly. Gohan winced when Frieza turned back to Trunks, smacking him hard across the face.

"I wasn't talking to you, scum."

Gohan didn't know what to do for the best. Protect the planet or watch Trunks getting beaten? It was the Cell Games all over again - the point where his life started to go horribly wrong.

"Well?!"

Trunks was still subtly shaking his head at Gohan, as if he was telling him with his eyes that he could take whatever was coming next.

"I don't know where they are," he said, looking straight at Frieza as he spoke.

Frieza's fist handed straight in Trunks' gut, literally knocking all of the air out of him. Gohan wanted to close his eyes tight, yet his eyes refused to move away from the events in front of him.

"You've picked the wrong day to play games, kid. If you want him to see daylight again, then you will tell me!"

"And I said I don't know!" yelled Gohan, the soldier, gripping tighter onto his upper arms as if he, too, was growing frustrated.

"Let him go," said Frieza to the other soldier. Trunks managed to keep himself upright despite the pain he was in, still not taking his eyes off Gohan.

Frieza knocked him to the ground with his elbow, Gohan jumping at the sound of him hitting the floor. All he could do was watch him being kicked in his newly healed ribs several times over. When he finally stopped, all he could hear was Trunks groaning in pain, rolling onto his front and wrapping his arm around his torso to try and stop himself from screaming.

"Either you are even dumber than I originally thought, or you're a complete psychopath who likes to watch their loved ones being tortured in front of them."

Gohan thought that his saiyan half would fit nicely into that second category... if only he'd actually show his face when he needed him to.

"Though, now I get why hitting you wouldn't work. From what I understand, you're quite the masochist aren't you?" laughed Frieza, deciding to push some of Gohan's buttons while Trunks got his breath back. "You love it when Cell hurts you."

"You don't know anything!"

"I've been watching you this past year, you really do live up to the expectations of your race. You found that when things got too much for you, the best place for you to escape was on your knees."

"You've also been known to underestimate us saiyans, Frieza," said Trunks, who was still lying on the floor, though trying to push himself up with his arms.

"That's why I have you here where I can see you. Both your fathers will soon be in my grasp too." Frieza turned back to Gohan, giving him a sickening smile. "The sooner that kid is out of you, the sooner we can carry on where we left off at the warehouse. I honestly didn't think you'd willingly take all that time to finish me off before you knocked me out with those drugs. I was quite flattered."

"Yeah, that was the most perverse, uneventful thirty seconds of my life," snarled Gohan, enjoying every moment of getting Frieza back for what he had to put himself through to make sure his loved ones were saved. He even heard a slight approving snicker from Trunks, who by now had stood up again.

Frieza was obviously attempting to degrade Gohan in front of Trunks, but it was never going to work. So he went back to the original plan, turning to punch Trunks in the face so hard that he stumbled backwards and hit the wall. Gohan regretted egging him on when he saw blood splatter all over the floor; Frieza had broken Trunks' nose.

"Be aware that every wrong move you make will only cause your friend here more pain."

"I still don't know where the dragon balls are, so why do you keep asking?" said Gohan, struggling angrily against the soldier that had hold of him. Frieza's eyes widened with annoyance. Despite his new found power, he was still impatient and bratty, in fact even more so since his ego had become so inflated.

Trunks was grabbed by his hair; the saiyan was still bleeding from his nose, but let out a grunt when he felt his hair being yanked harshly. Frieza threw him to the floor in front of Gohan, who could only watch when Frieza threw a few hard kicks to Trunks' back before stopping.

"You!" he shouted to the third soldier in the corner. He marched over to them.

"Lord Frieza?"

"Do what you do best, I think we might get something useful out of the brat if we kick things up a notch or two."

Gohan didn't want to look, he turned his head to get as further away from the situation as he could, but Frieza grabbed the back of his head, his fingers tangled in his black hair to secure Gohan's line of sight in place with Trunks.

"Oh no, you're not getting away that easy. Are you going to talk?"

"No!"

"Looks like Gohan doesn't care very much for you after all, Trunks. Then again, he never did if he was screwing the android behind your backs. Let's see just how much you can take before you cry. I can't see it being much."

"Fuck you..." spat Trunks, who was struggling to sit up again. Frieza stared down at him dangerously, feeling angrier when he realised that Trunks was spitefully laughing at him between coughs. Frieza nodded at the third soldier.

Trunks was pushed back down to the floor by a slight nudge from the soldier's foot. He bent down over him and punched him hard in the face, only adding to the pain of his already busted nose.

"Where are the dragon balls?" asked Frieza again. Gohan remained silent, too scared to say anything back in case it made the situation worse.

The soldier took his silence on board, yanking Trunks to his feet and smashing him against the the wall a few times by his shoulders. Trunks felt his head hit the wall hard with that last thrust, his head now exploding with pain which only escalated further when he was smacked in the face again, so hard that his head snapped to the left, his hair flying over and completely covering his face. The soldier held him up by his shirt as he came round again, burying his fist into Trunks' stomach when he finally got his bearings again. That last blow caused Trunks to cry out properly for the first time since it all started.

Frieza smirked at the sound of his cries, but when he turned back to Gohan, he realised that the boy was staring at the ceiling the entire time.

"Look at him, or else I'll have all three of my soldiers on him at once."

Gohan reluctantly obeyed, feeling sick to his stomach when he saw Trunks' face covered in bruises, but what startled him most was the look in his eyes; there was fear, and lots of it, but he was looking his attacker straight in the eyes again. However, no amount of courage was going to save him this time. Gohan still had it in him not to give Frieza any answers that would endanger not only the world, but the rest of his loved ones. He wasn't going to let Frieza anywhere near his brothers, no matter what.

"Come on, where are they? Surely your poor friend has suffered enough."

"I don't know where they are."

Frieza looked at the other soldier from earlier who was on the far side of the room. The monstrous brute smiled evilly, taking a knife out of his armor as he strode over to the other soldier who has still holding Trunks up against the wall by his shirt.

"One last time," growled Frieza, shaking Gohan's head by his hair. "Where are the dragon balls?!"

Gohan said nothing, still staring at Trunks' beaten form.

"You just ran out of chances, kid. Enjoy the show."

Frieza gave him back to the third soldier behind them; Gohan felt him grab onto his upper arms to keep him still. Frieza usually left at this point, but decided to stick around and watch this time. The soldier that had Trunks against the wall yanked him forwards to stand in front of him and held him up by his arms like a punching bag. The other came to stand in front of him holding a nasty looking dagger.

The soldier didn't waste any time, going for the collar of Trunks' shirt and tearing it open so that his torso was bare. Gohan hated the look of all those other bruises that were now showing; his ribs were definitely broken again for a start. The soldier took his knife and cut a line slowly across his chest, finally shattering Trunks' barriers as he let out a horrible scream.

Gohan refused to let himself cry, even though he wanted to. That cut was soon followed by another... and then another. Five minutes felt like forever, but the soldier that was holding Trunks suddenly spun him around and slammed him against the wall; the feeling of his shredded chest and stomach against the cold wall was unbearable, it stung him terribly.

The soldier took Trunks' shirt off completely, exposing his back. Trunks couldn't see what was happening to him this time, but more cries and screams burst out of his lungs as he felt the blade hacking away at the skin on his back. The cuts weren't enough to kill him, but they were just about deep enough to cause him nothing but agony. Gohan knew a thing or two about cuts... and Trunks was going to be badly scarred after this.

The soldier stopped eventually, wiping the blood off his dagger using the remains of Trunks' shirt. Frieza shot the third soldier a look, along with a smirk, signalling him to let go of Gohan as Trunks was dropped to the ground.

"Trunks?" gasped Gohan, falling to his knees and scurrying over to him. Trunks was unconscious, it was likely he'd passed out from the pain. Gohan put his hand in something sticky, looking at it in horror when he realised that it was blood, and that there was a pool of it steadily forming around Trunks, not to mention the blood already smeared on the walls from before he fell.

"Put him in one of the healing tanks. We can do this again in a couple of days," said Frieza, before letting out a loud, sinister laugh. "And throw this monkey brat back in his cage. Maybe all of this will give him something to think about before he decides to keep things from me again."

Gohan was dragged away and out of the room, his eyes not moving from Trunks' bleeding body.

* * *

Gohan was shoved back into his cell. Finally alone, his knees collapsed underneath him and he fell to the ground on all fours, letting himself cry as loud as he could. He repeatedly pounded his fists into the ground. It took all of his mental strength to keep his mouth shut in that room, and for someone without much mental strength he had to give himself some credit.

But that didn't make that image in his head go away. Two weeks ago, he ended up in bed with Trunks, spending all of his time after it feeling guilty about betraying Cell; he'd have given anything to go back to feeling like that - now all he could see in his head was Trunks lying on the floor beaten and bleeding profusely... all because he kept quiet. He knew he made the right call to keep his mouth shut. Gohan detested these situations the most.

He looked down at his hands, forgetting just how messy blood was. It wasn't just on his hands, but on his knees and his shirt, and probably even on his face since he'd touched it since. Gohan pulled at his hair frantically, trying to calm himself, he thought he was going to explode at any second.

 _Now's your chance!_

Gohan raised his head instantly at the voice that appeared in his head... it was him. He scrambled onto his feet and headed over to the sink, which was still full. He must have only been staring at his reflection for a couple of seconds.

 _Switch._

* * *

Doctor Gero was at his wits end. He'd tried everything. Cell had been lying there for a month now, still the same old spark of brain activity showing on the screen every few minutes or so.

The rest of the fighters had been laying low, training more and planning more attack strategies. He'd been watching them over the past few weeks, knowing that they weren't ready, especially if they were lacking Cell, Trunks and Gohan, three of their most powerful assets. Android 16 was the only one who checked in now.

He was staring out of the window when one of his machines started beeping.

"What the?"

He scrambled onto his feet, knocking his chair over. He ran to his machines, frantically typing various codes into the computer. He tapped his fingers on the table anxiously as the results appeared on his screen, causing him to smile - Cell had regained some of his brain activity.

"It's slow, but you're recovering," he said to the comatose android. "I think I may have outdone myself with you, Cell."

Cell remained still on the bed, Doctor Gero had high hopes that he would recover eventually - but how long would it take? There had to be a faster way.

* * *

 _Switch._

Gohan stumbled backwards but regained his balance. He had no idea where he was, it looked like a forest.

"What?" _Oh, why am I even asking?_

It seemed that his saiyan half had been out causing havoc, he just about recalled his last memory, in which he was looking at his own reflection. It had worked, he just had to be in a desperate enough situation for his saiyan half to surface.

Gohan turned around to try and figure out his exact location, not being able to fly yet since his powers were still sedated; but he caught sight of someone lying on the ground.

"Trunks!"

As promised, his saiyan half didn't leave him behind. Trunks was soaked to the bone, his shirt had been since replaced, but Gohan turned him over from his side and onto his back where he lifted it up to check his condition. The cuts looked a lot better, but it seemed that Trunks was only half way healed when he was rescued from his healing tank. He was relieved to see that he was on the mend, but he still had a way to go yet.

Something else caught Gohan's eye to the side. It was a large bag that was left next to Trunks. He went over to look through it, the first thing that he pulled out was Trunks' sword. He felt himself smile for the first time since their night together. He went through the bag to find both his and Trunks' original clothing in there, but he also found something else that made his eyes bulge out of his sockets with shock.

"Well... that changes things," he gasped. It seemed that Gohan's saiyan half was full of surprises; for the first time, he was thankful that he was around. Even with his powers suppressed he'd managed to get them here, as well as this...

Gohan was holding the seventh dragon ball in his hand.

 **Feedback is much appreciated! Along with any suggestions and ideas, and just generally how you feel about the story so far, it really helps, and share you opinions... and just for fun, who do you think should Gohan be with? Or should he be with either of them at all? :O**

 **Please Review!**


	13. Welcome to Hell

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Ooooh, so many opinions on who Gohan should or shouldn't be with... how will it turn out? Who knows!**

 **Thanks for all the feedback! I have a lot of free time this weekend, so expect some rapid updates :)**

 **CHAPTER 13: WELCOME TO HELL**

Gohan wouldn't have believed it if his abdomen wasn't absolutely killing him from that last blow, but he actually felt himself smile when she did it again. He let out a laugh, this was the first time she'd ever moved inside him, and she was making her presence known by kicking the crap out of his ribs. It was just as well that he had to stay awake for the time being, he hadn't slept for almost 48 hours now.

He managed to drag Trunks and their belongings, along with the dragon ball, into a cave about half a mile away from where they found themselves. Now he was just waiting for his powers to return, along with waiting for Trunks to wake up. He was getting a little worried now, Trunks hadn't opened his eyes at all in the past two days; Gohan kept checking on him, his pulse and breathing seemed normal, he was just hoping that he hadn't banged his head too hard at some point while his saiyan half was escaping. He'd assumed that Trunks had been unconscious all the way through it all. Gohan left him lying on his side with his jacket folded under his head.

Gohan found himself starting to drift off, sitting by the cave entrance. _No! Stay awake, Gohan!_ He shook his head vigorously to snap himself out of his tiredness and carried on with what he was doing, rolling out a leaf in a medical concoction of plant herbs, something his father used to do when he was really small, and also how he treated his own wounds during Piccolo's training. Once he'd finished another five, he lay them out, staring out of the small cave entrance again at the bleak night sky. His only source of light was a small controlled fire in the far corner of the cave so that the smoke could escape elsewhere to put any soldiers off their trail.

* * *

Gohan swore that he only shut his eyes for a second, but when he opened them again, it was daylight; however, it was the same dark daylight that cursed the skies since Hell was unleashed. He heard something moving behind him. Gohan turned around to see Trunks moving a little, then saw his eyes being to flicker open, along with letting out a painful groan as his injuries suddenly caught up with him.

"Hey," said Gohan, shuffling himself over to him.

"Urgh... what the _hell_ happened?" he drawled, his hand going straight to the blueish mark on his forehead.

"It was pretty embarrassing actually. You got really drunk and then ate some of these weird mushrooms -"

"Very funny," laughed Trunks weakly, now opening his eyes properly. He looked at Gohan first, and then at his surroundings, remembering that his last memory consisted of a knife in his back; his throat was still raw from screaming. "Where are we? What happened? Ow!"

"Try not to move yet, you're still healing," said Gohan, easing him back onto his side.

"No kidding," he said, still grimacing as he got comfortable.

"My saiyan half got us out."

"Really? How?"

"I... um... don't know," said Gohan awkwardly, seeing the puzzled look on Trunks' face. Gohan was also trailing off his sentences out of exhaustion more than anything. "I can't remember. One minute I was in my prison cell, the next I was in a forest."

"Guess there really are two people inside your head," said Trunks before grimacing again.

"How are you feeling?" asked Gohan, needing to know where he stood with his injuries. He'd been working blind for the past two days.

"Sore... why am I lying like this?" Trunks looked down himself at his weird sleeping position.

"There were a few cuts that weren't healing properly, I put some herbs on them. I was just about to check on them, actually."

"Oh... damn."

Gohan observed the fear returning in Trunks' eyes as they glazed over, he seemed to be remembering everything that happened to him in that room.

"Trunks?"

"Huh?"

"Can you sit up?" he asked, trying to steer his attention away from the memories of his recent ordeal.

"I think so."

Gohan helped him as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"Can I just..."

"Oh, yeah."

Gohan seemed apprehensive about lifting up his shirt while he was awake, feeling silly that he was nervous for no reason. He hated to the feeling of that papery material; Trunks obviously had yet to change out of his 'prison wear', whereas Gohan had since changed back into his gi. Gohan lifted it up half way, taking the leaves off his skin where his injuries were more serious. The ones at the front now looked okay enough to heal by themselves. He crawled around behind him to take off another on his lower back, that too was okay.

Gohan pushed his shirt up a little more to try and get to the worst one out of the lot, it was between the tops of his shoulder blades.

"Sorry, I need you to..."

Trunks got the message, pulling his shirt off over his head. Gohan could see it properly now, taking Trunks' long hair and brushing it over his shoulder so that he could examine him properly. He peeled the leaf off slowly to reveal that the laceration was still rather red around the outside; it had soaked in the herbs but was still not cooperating as well as the others.

Gohan examined it further with his fingers, feeling a little nervous as he did it. He pushed his feelings aside, convincing himself that he just didn't want to hurt him too much. _It's just skin. Get over it._ Trunks was also feeling odd, still disoriented and in terrible pain, but Gohan merely skimming his fingers over him seemed to be causing a reaction of some kind. It made some of the pain go away.

"It's still a little infected," said Gohan, breaking the deafening silence. He crawled over to where he left the newly mixed herbs and brought another leaf over, placing it carefully on his back. "Well, at least you can sleep on your front now. If you like sleeping on your front."

Trunks heard a yawn coming from behind him.

"How long have we been here?"

"Couple of days," yawned Gohan.

"You've been awake all this time?"

"Yeah, more or less. Someone had to stop you from scratching your cuts in your sleep."

"Why don't you get your head down for a while?" said Trunks, putting his shirt back on carefully as to not disturb the leaf on his back.

"I'm fine -" Gohan was interrupted again by another kick to his ribs, jerking him forwards and causing his hand to rush to his side to rub it better. "Ouch..."

"What's wrong?"

"This kid is relentless..." he laughed, still not believing that she was real, even after all this time. Trunks couldn't help but smile at him, he hadn't seen Gohan like this for a long time. He looked content, even though he was having his sides kicked in.

"Get some sleep, I think I've had more than enough."

Gohan sighed, before finally giving in and nodding his head. He shuffled over to where Trunks had been sleeping, placing his head on the folded Capsule Corp. jacket on the floor and switching off like a light. Trunks reached over to brush his hair out of his face, his hand stopping just as he was about to touch him and curling into a fist as he brought it back. He couldn't deal with this right now, and leaned against the wall just watching him; he could already feel the herbs working on his back.

* * *

Trunks could finally move somewhat after a couple of hours, now used to being sat up. He leaned over to the bag next to him and smiled when he pulled out his sword. Out of curiosity he rummaged through some more to find all of his clothes still intact, stopping dead when he felt something else in the bottom of the bag.

"What the..." Trunks pulled an orange sphere out, shocked to find that it was the last remaining dragon ball - they had all seven at last.

Gohan suddenly woke up with a start, his hand going straight to his ribs again; it seemed she'd kicked him straight out of his sleep.

"Gohan..."

"Hm?" he mumbled, turning over to find Trunks holding the dragon ball. "Oh... don't ask because I don't remember."

"You know what this means, right?"

"Yeah... we can end this. If we ever get back, that is."

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Not really, we can't be that far from Frieza if we don't have our powers back yet."

"Surely we should have our powers back soon. It's been days."

"Even when we do, we can't fly to the others. Frieza's soldiers will detect us and our families are on the other side of the world."

Trunks sighed, feeling useless as he was still aching and not able to move around as much as he'd have liked. Gohan pushed himself up to sit.

"How's your back?"

"Um." Trunks looked behind himself, honestly not noticing any pain from his infected wound. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Can I check if it's working?" asked Gohan, stretching his arms out.

"Yeah, sure."

Gohan shuffled around to settle behind him, Trunks pulling his shirt off over his head again. Gohan peeled off the leaf; the redness had faded a lot thanks to the herbs, but it still hadn't soaked them all in yet. He replaced it carefully, flattening it out with his hand.

"It looks like it's working," he said, his fingers wandering over his skin.

"Does that mean I don't have to sit funny anymore?" asked Trunks, feeling him sneak off to his shoulder, slowly tracing down his arm. Gohan had no idea why he did it, but he lowered his head to trace his lips over the bottom of his neck. "What are you doing?"

Gohan didn't answer, letting his primal instincts take him over as soon as he inhaled his scent from behind his ear. He wondered whether he was going into heat again or not, but deduced that he wasn't judging by how clear his head was... but how could he possibly be doing this with a clear head? He was supposed to be never going there again.

"Gohan?"

Trunks voice caught in his throat as Gohan sank his teeth lightly into his neck, nipping at it slowly, his arm curling under Trunks' to hold him closer. Trunks was starting to like it, but snapped out of it once he felt his his other hand place itself on his side

"Wait, stop!" he said, finally turning himself around.

"What's wrong?" asked Gohan; it wasn't like last time, he knew exactly what he was doing - what he wanted right now. Trunks didn't answer him, just staring back at him. He snapped himself out of it as Gohan moved closer.

"We can't," he said, putting his shirt back on before anything else took place. He didn't want to admit that he wanted to reciprocate what Gohan was feeling. He placed himself carefully, propping himself against the wall until he got comfortable.

"Why not?"

Trunks opened his mouth to answer, but when nothing came out, Gohan took advantage of the situation, darting forwards to kiss him passionately; it took a few seconds but Trunks found himself kissing Gohan back. He melted into him; again, it was the only non-violent contact he'd had for a long time. He could feel his heart pounding so hard that it was threatening to burst out of his chest. But once again, he regained his self control, pulling back abruptly and putting his fingers between their lips to stop anything else happening.

"You're sixteen," said Trunks, though that was the only excuse he could think of.

"Yeah, so?"

"I'm older than you, I can't just..."

"You already did once, you can't tell me that you don't want it to happen again."

Trunks tried to answer but was cut off again, lost for words when Gohan's restless tail coiled around his thigh. Though Gohan seemed as if he was insanely confident right now, he was also confused. _What the hell am I doing? I'm already with somebody else!_

It wasn't the same as how he felt about Cell at all. The same love he had for him wasn't there, or not yet, anyway. Gohan just felt an overwhelming physical attraction to him. It was definitely primal - and mutual. Yet more saiyan crap that he had to deal with; it was taking all of his inner strength to stop himself from tearing his clothes off.

"G-Gohan?"

"Hm?" he mumbled, so busy staring at him to realise what was going on. Trunks had a nervous looked on his face.

"Your tail..."

Gohan looked to where his tail was, no longer wrapped around Trunks' thigh, but moving slowly between his legs. Trunks was frozen against the wall, trying to ignore his own saiyan instincts, ignoring how much it was turning him on.

"Sorry, it's always had a mind of it's own."

"Are you going to move it?" he asked, his voice sounding as if it was quivering. Gohan shifted the end of his tail up a little, pressing it against his crotch and causing him to shiver. "- Away!" added Trunks quickly. Gohan had a sinister look in his eye that scared him, but also enticed him at the same time. "Maybe we should leave this place. Start heading to the others."

"You think you're okay to walk?"

Gohan stood up and began sorting out the herb covered leaves he made, leaving Trunks speechless and wide-eyed - it was as if nothing had happened. It took him a while the realise that he was still frozen against the wall like a frightened cat before he finally moved, reaching for the bag.

"Is it okay if I change first?" he asked nervously, avoiding eye contact.

"Um, yeah... I'll just... " Gohan shot him a half smile before heading outside in case he did anything stupid.

* * *

Trunks was struggling, Gohan could see it, but they had to keep moving. They'd kept their distance since they left that cave twelve hours back, not daring to look at each other, but Trunks could help but feel like Gohan was going to turn around and pounce on him at any moment - and something was telling him that he wouldn't have stopped him either.

"Do you feel anything, yet?" he asked, finally attempting get settle any awkwardness. Gohan kept his back to him, distracted by a stream flowing beside them.

"Feel what?"

"Your powers, I've still got nothing."

"Um..."

Gohan found himself staring into the flow of the water, even the sound of his voice was making his stomach do back flips. He didn't even notice his own reflection appearing in the water; he shouldn't have stared back at it with so much intent running through him... big mistake.

 _Switch_

"Did you bring those leaves with you? I think this one's starting to... Gohan?"

Trunks was hesitant to go over to him, but did so as he looked as if he was frozen solid staring into the water. He stood behind him, placing his hand on his shoulder to try and shake him out of whatever he was thinking about. He soon realised that he'd stepped into some sort of trap as Gohan's tail wrapped around his upper thigh again, keeping Trunks firmly in place behind him.

"Gohan - "

"How old _are_ you, anyway?" asked Gohan, not turning around at all. Luckily for Trunks, the funny looking, skittish look on his face remained unseen by the other.

"I... u-uh..." Whatever he wanted to say had disintegrated as it tried to leave his mouth; Gohan's tail was soon moving between his legs again, grinding against his crotch.

"What was that?" Gohan's lips curved upwards into a smirk as that hand on his shoulder began to grip harder.

"S-sorry, what did you say?" stuttered Trunks, his eyes glazing over as Gohan's tail pressed a little more against him.

"How old are you?"

Trunks tried to answer again, only for that tail to yank him further forwards to press up against Gohan, the latter immediately picking up on his hard on. His tail carried on where it left off, rubbing even harder than it was before.

"Twenty-five," he answered quickly, just as the tail starting to gather speed. Trunks placed his other hand to rest on Gohan's waist to stop his knees from collapsing under him; he felt weak enough thanks to his still healing injuries.

"You're not nearly as old as you're making out," said Gohan casually, making sure his tail was exciting the right places, as well as rolling his hips back slightly. "What's really holding you back?"

"Gohan, we have t-to..." Trunks was starting to lose it, finding himself panting as Gohan's tail continued on its mission to get him to surrender. Why wasn't he pushing him away?

"Stop?"

 _No! Don't you dare stop now._ Trunks didn't answer him, no longer being able to form a single rational thought. He didn't want him to stop at all, it was quite the opposite, but he didn't want him to know that. Gohan turned himself around to face him, Trunks immediately seeing the change in him that had already took place a few minutes ago - and then the penny finally dropped, this was Gohan's infamous saiyan half.

Gohan looked at him, biting down on his own lip as he took in the look in Trunks' eyes. With a swift move, Trunks found himself up against the nearest tree thanks to Gohan's tail, he was surprised at how strong it was with the right training. Trunks wouldn't have known anyway, he was born without one.

Gohan remained silent as he approached him, Trunks froze against the tree.

"Nice hair, by the way," remarked Gohan, taking some of it in his fingers and playing with it; it had grown much longer these past weeks. "Suits you like this." Trunks' jaw dropped at his casual conversation.

"What?" Trunks was immediately silenced by Gohan's other hand, which had a firm grip on him between his legs.

"By the way, where did you get your sword from? I always wondered," said Gohan casually, looking behind him at the very sword that was trapped to his back. Trunks didn't notice what he was doing until it was too late, seeing stars when Gohan's hand dived into his pants and grabbed hold of him. He felt hot against his cold hand as he began moving it. "Come on, talk to me. I'm not that scary."

"Um... it was given to me b-by... f-fuck!" Trunks gave up, finding himself laughing out loud at his attempts to keep his composure. Gohan had him right where he wanted him, pumping him steadily and watching him slowly lose his sanity as he got louder.

"It's always the quiet ones," whispered Gohan with a taunting smile.

Trunks wanted to wipe that smug look off his face; the next stroke seemed to break him as he pulled Gohan forwards into a forceful kiss, shoving his tongue into his open mouth. He moaned into the kiss as Gohan carried on before pulling back.

"So you were telling me about that sword..."

"You're insane."

"Thank you," said Gohan cheerfully, that dark, ominous look still lingering in his eyes despite his innocent looking smile.

Trunks could feel himself getting hotter, even more so when Gohan's tail made another appearance, caressing the inside of his leg before disappearing under his shirt to tease his stomach.

"Faster..." he gasped, Gohan drinking in everything that was happening in front of him, he could tell how close he was. Trunks even grabbed onto Gohan's hand to help himself along before he climaxed. He moaned loudly into Gohan's ear as he emptied himself, feeling Trunks breathing on his neck sent a shiver down his spine. He left his head to rest on Gohan's shoulder as he got his breath back.

"Still feel too 'old' for me?"

Trunks bit into his neck in response before bringing his head up to kiss him. Gohan got so lost in him that he let go of his arms, causing him to finally buckle, landing straight on his backside, though his back impacted with the tree as well, reminding him of his injuries.

"Ow..." he said flatly, rubbing his lower back. Gohan let out a laugh and knelt down beside him.

"Whoops, forgot you w- "

 _Switch_

Trunks noticed him stopping in mid sentence and looking around as if he didn't know where he was.

"Gohan? Are you back?"

"Back? I - oh." He observed the panic that began to appear in his face. "I'm sorry! Did he hurt you?"

"You don't remember?!" Trunks was more worried about having to put into words what his saiyan half just did to him, because he couldn't, he'd never felt anything like what he just experienced.

"Did he hurt you?!" repeated Gohan.

"N-no, he - " Trunks cut himself off before making an explicit gesture with his hand whilst rolling his eyes to hide his embarrassment.

"Huh... oh... sorry about that..."

"Why did he come back like that anyway, I thought he only came out if you were in a desperate situation?"

Gohan was thinking about that himself for the past few minutes, his eyes widening. He _was_ desperate... desperate for Trunks.

"I guess I just... really wanted you."

"That much to cause him to resurface?" Trunks actually felt flattered by it, his saiyan half rarely appeared these days unless it was pivotal. But at the same time, he felt frightened by it as well.

"I can't describe it, I only have to look at you and I want to - " _Fuck your brains out?_ Gohan wasn't explaining himself well, but didn't want to finish that sentence off out loud, and whatever he was feeling for Trunks was evidently turning him into a babbling wreck and turning his legs into jelly. He fell into a sitting position against the tree next to him with his head in his hands.

"Me too... and I know I shouldn't, but I do," said Trunks as he stared at the floor, his cheeks turning red.

 _So you want to fuck my brains out too... okay then, let's do it! Right now..._ Gohan outwardly slapped himself in the head to stop those thoughts; he didn't know whether they belonged to him or his saiyan half. But he couldn't hide behind his other personality or blame anything on him; at the end of the day, they were two sides of the same coin.

"Do you think it all started with that heat? Because that was intense," said Trunks. If Gohan was completely honest, most of his night with Trunks was a complete blur since he only had one objective in mind as it was happening - stop the pain. Although, he could remember some particular parts in vivid detail. _Including how fucking beautiful you look when you're... wait, what?_

"It looks that way," said Gohan, snapping out of his gaze at the other once again.

"Do you - never mind," mumbled Trunks, shaking his head. It peaked Gohan's curiosity anyway, since they were both being completely honest with each other.

"Go on, what?"

"Do you feel this way when you're with... him," he muttered quickly, trying not to sound to intrusive.

"With Cell? Um... guess I never really thought about it like that," said Gohan. It was completely different. "He was always who I went to when things got too much for me to handle. I had my problems and he had his problems as well as a major superiority complex - " Gohan stopped and looked over at Trunks' puzzled face. "I'm really not explaining this well."

"It's okay, I didn't mean to - "

"Cell has his own _unique_ way of looking at it. We were never equals, I've always just 'belonged' to him, like a possession. It was always a game, he'd see how far he could push me before I snapped, and pretend to care about me and take care of me so that I wouldn't turn him away. And I'd do the same to him, only when he snapped I was the one on the receiving end."

Gohan couldn't believe what he was saying; he'd never had to describe his relationship to anyone else before. He was making Cell out to be some kind of monster when he didn't feel that way when they were together. He was pushing it to the back of his mind again, he assumed being away from him for so long was making him think this way.

"Whenever I've been alone since we... I've been feeling so guilty that I've betrayed him. He always said I was a whore."

"You're not a whore," said Trunks.

"I'm carrying his kid and fucking somebody else behind his back, can't get more wrong than that, can it?"

"It doesn't feel wrong."

Gohan looked at him properly for the first time since he came back from being tucked away in his own brain. The difference between both his partners was right in front of him. With Cell... it always just felt wrong, and the only times it felt wrong with Trunks was because of his own guilt.

"I know... I don't know what to do," said Gohan, his voice cracking as he felt himself welling up out of confusion and guilt. He buried his face into his arms which were folded over his knees. Trunks instinctively placed his arm around him to pull him into a reassuring hug. Gohan raised his head again, wiping his eyes before letting out a laugh. "Sorry, I'm such a mess."

"No you're not," Trunks whispered against his hair before planting a kiss on his head. "We'll figure this out." Gohan turned to face him, closing his eyes and resting their foreheads together before he felt a soft pair of lips appear on his. It was their first kiss that wasn't driven by blind lust.

"We can... once we get back," said Gohan, not really wanting to move, he could have stayed here forever.

"Better help me up then."

"Was it _that_ good that you can't stand up on your own?" teased Gohan, though he knew that it was mostly due to his injuries. Trunks rolled his eyes and failed to stifle a humiliating smile. "Come on, then," he sighed, standing up and pulling Trunks to his feet with him, then he realised something - it didn't take much effort to do it. "I think my powers are coming back..."

"Well they must have sedated me since I was... " Trunks seemed to end up back in that room again until Gohan managed to shake him out of it.

"The sooner we get this dragon ball back, the sooner we can get the world back. And I'll make sure you never have to go through that again."

Trunks couldn't help but kiss him after that, which Gohan smiled into before pulling back and flying directly up into the sky, not too far though.

"Well, I can see West City from here, so we're not that far out," he said before landing.

"There's got to be a faster way back - Gohan?"

Gohan was watching some birds, confused birds, that seemed to be flying around in circles. He counted them when he was sure that there was a different number of them every few seconds... and then two disappeared.

"There is. I think," he said, hoping his hunch was correct like it was last time - there was a dimensional hot spot in the sky just above one of the trees. "Up there."

"Up where?" Trunks was lost, and definitely not for the first time today.

"Hold on to me," he said,putting Trunks' arm around him before lifting them carefully into the sky, and also making sure that they still had a tight hold on that bag containing the dragon ball.

Gohan slowed down as to not scare the birds away; he immediately caught sight of where they were disappearing and flew towards it. He was right, and it took them to where Gohan had hoped as well. Trunks was very disoriented when the sky suddenly changed colour.

"What?! Where are we? What happened?" Gohan landed on the hard ground carefully, letting him go as he looked around in awe at where they ended up. "What is this place?" Gohan bit his lip and stifled a laugh. _You are actually so adorable when you do that._

"Welcome to Hell," he said timidly, rubbing the back of his own head.

"I don't know why I'm so surprised, I got back to your world in a similar way," said Trunks, finally regaining his senses.

"Well now we've managed to get here, I can find a short cut across."

"How do you know we'll be close to them when we get out? _If_ we find a way out."

"I lived here for a while once, remember? I found one of the dragon balls in the cave I used to stay in, it's not too far from here. There's a gateway in there that leads to another forest near Master Roshi's island. And Papaya Island isn't that far away from there either."

* * *

Gohan's hunch seemed to be correct as they found his old cave. Hell was eerily empty; everyone had long since escaped in the past few months.

"This is it," he said, peering inside and seeing the body of water still in the corner. They walked inside, it was so much smaller than Gohan remembered.

"You really lived here?" asked Trunks, looking around at the dark and dank walls as well as the hard floor.

"Y-yeah, I... " Gohan stopped and stared down at the floor to the right of where he was standing. Something was coming back to him.

"What's wrong?" asked Trunks, walking over to him and following his line of sight. Gohan's eyes were fixed on a certain point where the ground met the wall. "Did something happen here?"

"It all started right there. Feels like a lifetime ago."

Trunks caught on when he realised that he was talking about Cell, then he was also fixated on that point, hating the android even more.

"Are you okay?"

"The gateways over there," said Gohan blankly, finally turning around and pointing to the far corner of the cave.

"Water? We're not going to come out in the sea, are we?" asked Trunks, trying to joke.

"No," laughed Gohan halfheartedly. "It's a pond, a shallow one." Gohan crouched down and put his hand into it, feeling the dry air as he pushed his arm all the way through. "Just put your head under when I'm out and I'll pull you out."

* * *

Gohan was relieved when he recognised the forest he came out in, pulling his legs out of the pond and onto the dry leaves and throwing the bag out in front of him. He turned around onto his knees, hearing someone behind him. He saw saw Trunks' hand rise out of the water, when he grabbed onto it, and then the other as it came through, and then he pulled.

It wasn't as difficult as he thought, forgetting that he had his strength back when he used a little too much effort as he pulled Trunks out of the water; he felt himself give and accidentally pulled Trunks out to land on top of him.

"Sorry, don't know my own strength yet."

Trunks just laughed at him as he stood up, picking Gohan up with him by his arms as well, but he, too, seemed to underestimate his own strength when Gohan came straight up and landed against him.

"Looks like your powers are back," he said quietly. Trunks laughed again, finally feeling his body begin to heal a lot faster. The two of them were soaked through, but Gohan picked up the bag and reached into it, seeing the dragon ball being to emit a bright light every few seconds. "We're almost there."

Now that they had their powers back, they could sense if anyone was approaching them, but they couldn't sense their families, assuming that they had some sort of barrier around them to stop them from being detected. Gohan didn't admit it, but he wanted to see Cell again more than anything else at that moment.

 **So... how will Gohan react to Cell's condition? Will the others find out about the child? What about Trunks? So many questions that may (or may not) be answered very soon :O**

 **Please Reviewwww**


	14. The Wish

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Rapid updates indeed! Will they succeed in fixing the world? Let's find out...**

 **CHAPTER 14: THE WISH**

"Looks like we've hit the barrier," said Trunks, feeling it as he stepped through. It was surrounding the entire stadium and its living quarters. It had took them five days to get there without being detected; the only flying they did was over water. Trunks seemed to be getting stronger everyday, but he still had to stop and rest a lot on their journey.

"Do you think they'll know it's us that's come through?"

Gohan's question was answered when two people jumped out the surrounding buildings holding ki blasts at them.

"Stop where you are!" yelled Salza.

"It's the half-breeds!" said Cooler, very surprised to see them. "How the hell did you escape from Frieza?"

"We... uh..."

"We'll explain later," said Gohan. "We just want to see our families now."

* * *

"Who was it, some of Frieza's men?" asked Piccolo, all of the gang waiting at the arena as soon as they sensed someone coming through their barriers. They were all speechless when they saw who came through the opening with Salza and Cooler.

"Gohan?!"

"Trunks!"

Both Chi Chi and Bulma outwardly exploded with happiness upon seeing their sons, running over to them and embracing them. Normally, Gohan would have disliked all the attention, but he hugged his mother back with probably the same amount of force. He was so much taller than her now. Goten soon ran over too, along with Goku who had Haru in his arms, all of them enjoying being reunited at last.

Trunks, on the other hand, was finding Bulma's hugging quite painful since his entire body was still broken and bruised, but he still managed a content smile. Even his present counterpart was happy to see him, the seven year old wrapping his arms around his hips as that was as far as he could reach; although he was literally receiving a hug from himself, the present Trunks had become like a little brother to him over the past year.

Trunks felt a strong hand place itself on his shoulder; he turned his head to find Vegeta smiling at him, well, in his own way.

"It's good to see you, son," he said in his same old gruff tone of voice.

"It's good to be back," said Trunks, smiling in return.

"How did you both escape?" asked Jeice, who had since clasped his arms around Gohan since his family backed off.

"There's time for that later, right now, we need to put this in a safe place," said Gohan, reaching into the now beaten back and pulling out the orange sphere for everyone to see.

"The last dragon ball?!" screamed Krillin.

"But how?!" yelled Goku.

* * *

The dragon ball was soon put in the case with the rest of them near Doctor Gero's makeshift lab. Speaking of the doctor, Gohan had a pressing question since Cell seemed to be absent, but he couldn't sense him either. He hated being so close yet so far away from him. Once Gohan finally got a minute to himself after he excused himself to the bathroom, he was followed.

"Gohan?"

"Yeah?" he said, turning around to find Vegeta behind him.

"We need to have a talk," he sighed.

"About what?"

"Well first, I need to check on that kid," said Vegeta, pointing at the ki he could feel radiating from Gohan's stomach. It was much brighter than it was before he was captured. "Has it been moving?"

"Yep, it's moving. And kicking. And doing various acrobatics, mostly when I'm trying to sleep," said Gohan, laughing through that last part.

"Did Frieza hurt you?"

"Well... yeah, thought smacking people around came naturally to him."

"You know what I mean," said Vegeta, not wanting to spell it out for him.

"No, he didn't. He said that he wasn't going to touch me while I'm pregnant."

"Good."

"Where's Cell?" asked Gohan abruptly, finally being able to ask without everyone having to hear him. Vegeta sighed again, which didn't reassure Gohan. Was he sighing because he _was_ around and he wanted to see him? Or was it because he didn't know where he was?

"Let's look you over first, and then I'll tell you."

* * *

"Hey, Trunks is going to be okay, he's just left," said Bulma, Vegeta entering the room with Gohan. They were in one of the stadium's medical rooms.

"Is he going to scar?" asked Gohan quietly, partly already knowing the answer anyway.

"It shouldn't be too bad, I don't think," she replied heavily. "Mostly thanks to you, it looks like those herbs really sped up the recovery."

"Lie back on there," said Vegeta, Gohan obeying him without saying anything as Vegeta shut the door behind them and locked it.

"What on earth has gotten into you lately, Vegeta?" asked Bulma; Vegeta had been acting odd since Gohan was captured, he was definitely hiding something. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Bulma, on this one occasion I need you to promise me you'll keep that mouth shut!"

"Alright, no need to be such a jerk!"

"Promise me!" said Vegeta with a little more force. Bulma noticed a desperate look in Vegeta's eye, looking at a rather quiet Gohan before nodding.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"I need one of those scanner things. The one with the sound waves."

"An ultra sound?"

Bulma wheeled one over from the far corner of the room to park it next to them.

"Lift up your shirt," said Vegeta. Gohan did so, revealing his stomach. Bulma was confused at why it was slightly swollen. If anything, it looked as if Gohan had eaten too much. Gohan flinched at how cold the gel was before he felt the scanner on his belly, roaming around and making a funny sound. "Turn to your right a little."

"What exactly are you looking for, do you even know how to use this machine -" Bulma cut herself off when she saw something appear on the screen. "Is that a _baby_?" she stuttered, her eyes bulging out of her sockets.

"Yes, it's a baby," said Vegeta, rolling his eyes. He was used to the concept of pregnant male saiyans, though this was the first one he'd seen in decades. Bulma, on the other hand, couldn't get her head around it.

"But Gohan's a guy!"

"That's what I've been trying to say..." mumbled Gohan, who was staring at the ceiling.

"I can't tell what it is just yet," said Vegeta. "I'm not used to these blasted machines."

"It's a girl," said Gohan almost instantly. "Frieza told me."

"So she is," said Vegeta, finally finding a good enough position to tell. "You're fifteen weeks, just over half way through. Look." Gohan only looked at the screen for literally two seconds before he fell head over heels in love with what he saw, though he didn't outwardly show it.

"That went fast," said Gohan, still feeling like he'd only just found out about her. "So these things last, what, six months for saiyans?"

"Approximately, yes - " Vegeta stopped for a second after moving lower.

"What's wrong? said Gohan nervously. Vegeta's silence wasn't helping. "Tell me what's wrong! Is she okay?!"

"When she needs to come out, we'll have to remove her... surgically."

"What?" asked Gohan, stunned about what he just said, but also relieved that he wouldn't have to physically push her out. That concept was what had been scaring him the most recently. "Why?"

"There's no way for her to get out, there's no canal. I think being a half-breed means that you're missing certain parts."

"Then how the fuck did she get in there in the first place?!" yelled Gohan, not meaning to completely lose it in front of Bulma.

"It's some kind of osmosis rather than an obvious pathway. The sperm is... absorbed into where the egg is. It looks like you're missing quite a few parts, but you have what is necessary to conceive and carry a child, however, it looks as if you're missing the part that's needed for you to deliver."

"Well that's just great... how long will it take me to recover from that?"

"Just a few days since you're a saiyan. Then you're free to raise your own child as you please."

"Vegeta, he's sixteen years old, he can't do this on his own!" said Bulma, who had just about managed to take everything in.

"By saiyan standards, he is old enough to be finding a partner and breeding by now."

"He's part human as well, Vegeta, or have you forgot that?"

Vegeta huffed and turned to walk out of the room.

"Hey!" Gohan wiped the gel off his stomach and fixed his clothes before standing up. "You promised me. Where is he?"

"You'd better sit down," said Vegeta, turning around again.

"What is this?"

"Sit... down," he repeated, Gohan obeying again without taking his eyes off him. "When Cell came back here with Kakarot just after you were captured, he was unconscious. Frieza managed to shoot a clean hole through his brain."

"W-what?"

"He's been brain dead ever since. Doctor Gero's been keeping an eye on him, but there hasn't been much improvement since it happened. He's just been lying there in a coma."

Everything finally clicked into place. That was why he never tried to contact him or attempt to save him from Frieza; and now he felt even more guilty about what happened with Trunks - there he was fucking somebody else while Cell was helplessly lying in a coma all this time.

"Do you want to see him?" asked Vegeta, not wanting to ask that at all.

"No," said Gohan as he stared blankly ahead at the window.

"I had to ask, seeing as that's also _his_ child." Vegeta noticed Bulma's eyes widening further when she heard that.

"No, it's fine. I just want to go to bed. I haven't slept properly for weeks."

"What about your mother and father, Gohan?" asked Bulma softly. "Don't they deserve to know that they're going to be grandparents in less than three months?"

"I don't want to tell anybody yet. You and Trunks are the only people who know."

"They need to know, Gohan. Sooner rather than later."

"Okay," he sighed, feeling all of his energy draining as he agreed. "But can we do it tomorrow? I just want to sleep."

They didn't stop him as he left the room on his own.

* * *

Gohan did go to bed just like he said he would, but spent hours just staring blankly at nothing, tossing and turning to try and get comfortable, but the more he thought about Cell, the more she started to kick him. It was like she knew.

He finally gave up, getting out of bed and heading straight upstairs...

Before he knew it, he was stood outside the lab, spending a good half hour contemplating going inside. He knew it was empty, he watched Doctor Gero leave for the night a while ago. The door came closer with every small step, and the closer he got, the more he had to control his breathing. Cell was in there... it was all he thought about for the past month.

His hand unconsciously found itself on the handle, turning it to finally open the door into the lab which was only lit by a lamp in the corner as well as the computer screens working away at the sides of the room. Gohan felt his stomach tense up as he finally set eyes on him - he didn't know what he was feeling. Happiness? Relief? Fear? Fear was definitely one of them. But he couldn't point out why he was feeling it. Was he just scared of Cell himself, or frightened at the prospect of being alone?

She was kicking again, Gohan willed her to stop as it only reminded him of how she got there in the first place. He walked closer to him; either Gohan had grown or Cell had shrunk. Gohan remembered him being much larger than how he looked now. And scarier. Maybe it was because he was lying on a bed in a coma rather than standing over him like a threatening storm. Gohan found himself reaching out to touch him, Cell didn't move as Gohan's fingers traced along his cheek.

Before he knew it, his hand started trembling. He snatched it back as he finally lost control of his breathing.

 _"Please stop!"_

Gohan was starting to remember something, but he was sure it was something he'd dreamed in the past.

 _"You're hurting me!"_

He stumbled backwards against the counter, knocking a few things over as he clutched his head to try and make sense of what he was hearing inside his head.

 _"You want this..."_

 _"No!"_

Gohan felt sick, he could feel how weak his body was under him. He remembered him pulling at his clothes, holding him down, hushing him and ignoring his protests. But it felt so much like a dream that he was having a hard time believing that it really happened. That he _let_ that happen to him again. He couldn't breathe. He ran...

Gohan couldn't remember if he shut the door or not, but was wondering why that was playing on his mind as much as everything else. He was vaguely aware that he must have ran aimlessly around most of the building before he finally regained some of his senses. As soon as he stopped, his chest felt tighter than ever. He found himself wandering around again until he found the room he was looking for, knocking twice and leaning against the door frame hoping for an answer. Five seconds felt like hours in his mental cage. He felt like he was drowning.

"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Trunks, finding the disheveled half saiyan fighting for breath at his door.

"I c-can't breathe..."

Trunks carefully pulled him into the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Help me!" he gasped. He knew that he wasn't dying, he'd had anxiety attacks many times before, but this one was probably the worst one he'd ever experienced.

"Look at me, you're going to be okay," he said calmly. Gohan's breathing seemed to slow down now that he had someone to focus on. His feet were rooted into the floor so much that he had to hold on to Trunks to stop himself from falling over. Trunks only had to catch a glimpse of the terror in his eyes to know what was behind his panic. "Have you just been to see him?"

Gohan managed to nod as he felt his breathing begin to ease again. Trunks managed to pry Gohan's hands off his jacket and held on to them.

"I remember... I couldn't put my finger on it before but..."

"What are you talking about?" Trunks was getting worried, he could feel his hands shaking in his own.

"He did again. While I was sick..." Gohan felt nauseous, he could recall a lot of it now, all of the separate memories slowly knitting together again. "He... "

"When were you sick?"

"A couple of months ago... I couldn't move, he was on top of me," said Gohan, his voice quivering heavily. Trunks held onto his hands tighter, praying that his suspicions were wrong.

"Did he rape you?" He didn't mean to be blunt, but he needed to know, Gohan wasn't making much sense.

"I... I don't know..." he stuttered. "I can't remember, I thought I was hallucinating... I just let him."

"Did you say no?"

That was what Gohan remembered the most. He did say no... countless times. Gohan nodded his head, causing Trunks to pull him into an embrace.

"I swore to myself I wouldn't let it happen again!"

"He can't hurt you anymore," said Trunks, still feeling him shaking. But Gohan was now shaking out of anger rather than shock. He pulled back out of Trunks' arms, not knowing what was going through his head when he suddenly crashed their lips together. At any other time, Trunks would have welcomed it, but not while he was this vulnerable.

"Gohan... " Trunks just about managed to pry him off again, holding him by his hands like he did before. "Not like this... this isn't you."

"I-I'm sorry, I - " The words seemed to disappear from his mouth. "I don't know what I'm doing." Gohan felt better that he was stopped, but it felt foreign to him. Whenever he went to Cell like this, the android would just relent without much argument; then he realised that he always did it to make sure he felt worse about it afterwards. Trunks held him again, Gohan burst into tears instantly and buried his face into his shoulder.

* * *

Gohan was thankful that he wasn't alone when he woke up, but his eyes felt heavy; he was crying for a good hour or so before he finally fell asleep. He looked up to see that Trunks was sound asleep next to him. Gohan was still in his arms, not remembering the last time he felt this safe and secure. He smiled, Trunks was right; Cell couldn't hurt him right now. He was partly thankful that he sneaked upstairs to see his condition for himself, it was reassuring knowing that he wasn't going anywhere, not like that.

But then he remembered that he had more pressing matters to take care of later that day...

* * *

"What's going on?" asked Goku as he and Chi Chi walked into one of the bedrooms in the stadium's living quarters. Vegeta had ordered him and his 'woman' in there, leaving Goten and Haru with the other fighters to look after. Gohan had requested that he didn't want everybody knowing, not yet anyway.

"Has something happened?" asked Chi Chi, wondering what was going on.

"You'd better um... " Gohan gestured to one of the beds in the twin room they were in, feeling more anxious than ever as his parents sat down.

"Is someone going to tell us what this is all about?!" pressed Chi Chi again.

"Um... I have something to tell you," said Gohan nervously, fidgeting with his hands and staring at the floor.

"What is it?" said Goku, worried that Gohan couldn't seem to look at them. Luckily Bulma and Vegeta were there.

"I'm... uh... " _How the hell am I meant to tell them without sounding stupid?!_

"Gohan is pregnant," said Vegeta, finally noticing Gohan's reluctance to say it himself. Gohan held his breath as he took in their parent's reactions.

"Don't be silly, he can't get pregnant, he's a boy!" laughed Chi Chi. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Chi Chi... " Goku's eyes widened. Gohan could tell that his father believed him; he was staring straight at his stomach.

"Don't tell me you believe this Goku! Goku?"

"I can sense it, I can't believe I didn't sense it before," said Goku, still not believing it himself.

"You're really... how?!"

Gohan expected his mother to react this way, he wondered beforehand whether this would finally destroy their relationship altogether. He took into account the many bombshells he'd dropped on her in the past few years.

"You can't be pregnant, Gohan, it's physically impossible!" she yelled.

"Male saiyans are able to bear children," said Vegeta. "With the lack of females in our race, we've evolved to be able to do so."

"Wait, does that me I can too?!" exclaimed Goku.

"Yes, Kakarot," sighed Vegeta. "But that's not the point. The fact is that he's pregnant. And it's about time you knew."

The five of them sat their in silence, Bulma moved over to Chi Chi to console her as she was having a hard time taking it in, as Goku continued to take in what he was sensing. It was a pure, innocent energy which seemed to radiate from Gohan.

"How far along are you?" asked Goku, who was steadily becoming happier the more he thought about it.

"About four months," said Gohan, finally looking at him and speaking for the first time since they found out. He was trying not to let on how much she was kicking him at that moment.

"These pregnancies last for about six months, and since Gohan is only half saiyan, he won't be able to deliver. So we're going to have to remove her when the time comes."

"But where is it?! You're not even showing!"

"You can a little, it just looks like I've eaten a lot to be honest. It's so it doesn't get in the way and I'm still able to fight."

"Chi Chi, are you okay?"

Gohan finally looked at his mother, who seemed to snap out of her trance.

"It's his, isn't it? It's Cell's," she said, looking at his intently. The last thing Gohan needed was to hear his name after what occurred the night before, but, again, the child seemed to kick him out of his despair.

"Yeah," he answered, looking his hands again.

"But you're sixteen, you can't have your own child at that age!"

"It's perfectly normal by saiyan standards," said Vegeta.

"Screw your saiyan standards! Gohan is an earthling!" she shouted angrily at the saiyan prince. Vegeta simply huffed at her. "You can't possibly do this on your own!"

"That's why I'm telling you!" said Gohan. "I know I've been a complete disaster lately, but this is my chance to finally do something right. And I can't do it without you!"

"We're going to be grandparents..." said Goku, his signature grin spreading across his face as he started to get excited.

"Do you know what it is?" asked Chi Chi, suddenly waving her arms and going over to Gohan to put her arm around him. "I didn't mean that to sound... it's just with - "

"I know, it's okay," said Gohan, smiling back her. "It's mostly saiyan, about a quarter human."

"Well, I guess that means we'll have to stock up on food," she laughed.

"And I know that you always wanted another girl in the family."

"It's a girl?!" she chirped. Chi Chi was still getting used to the idea, but at the end of the day, this was an innocent, tiny child; none of this was her fault.

Gohan smiled and nodded at her before being dragged into another choking yet loving hug. He was relieved that it was finally out in the open, or at least knowledge to two of the most important people that needed to know. He didn't dare tell them about Trunks, he didn't know whether there was anything to tell yet, anyway.

* * *

That afternoon, they all gathered in the arena. Everyone except for Cell, that is, who was still locked in the lab. All of the gang were there, including the Ginyu's, Cooler, Salza, Android 16 and Doctor Gero. They made sure that they got the wish right in their heads first before making it. Bulma put all of the dragon balls in place at the center of the arena before turning the the others.

"We'd better make this quick. We don't want to attract Frieza or any of his soldiers," she said. Bulma held her hands out over the flashing orange spheres before saying the words to summon the dragon.

Before they knew it, the sky began to go even darker than it already was; a bright light shot out of the dragon balls and Shenron appeared before them, as menacing and majestic as ever. They never got tired of witnessing it, and everyone there that hadn't witnessed it before stood there in awe.

"Why have you summoned me again? The world is already severely unbalanced," he bellowed. They already knew that it was overuse of the dragon balls that had caused reality's barriers to collapse, but they had no other option.

"Shenron! Is there any chance you can fix reality and put everyone back in the worlds they should be in, apart from those who are in this stadium?" she asked.

"I can!"

Everyone cheered, not giving the dragon a chance to finish.

"However, I'm afraid that it cannot be permanent when I do so!"

"What?! What do you mean?!" cried Yamcha.

"I can restore reality as you wish it, but there is a power beyond my control which will eventually tear them back down again!"

"How long will we have before they collapse again?"

"I couldn't say, it could be a month, it could be four! Do you want me to grant this wish for you?"

They all looked at each other.

"If it'll buy us some time, it's worth a shot," said Piccolo.

"Yes, Shenron!" said Bulma.

"Very well!"

The saw the familiar glow in Shenron's eyes, followed by relief that it was over for the time being.

"What is you second wish?"

"Um... we don't have one," she said, looking at the others who all shook their heads.

"If you re-gather the dragon balls again within four months, I can grant your second wish should you want to!"

"Okay, we'll do that!"

"So be it, farewell!"

Another bright light took them over, the dragon balls then floated up into the sky and darting off in seven different directions. They all managed a cheer when daylight returned, feeling sunlight on themselves for the first time in the best part of a year.

"So we have a few months to find out what this power source is that's causing reality to shift like it has been," said Piccolo.

"I'm guessing it's the same power source that Frieza's been getting his new strength from," said Vegeta.

"I can't sense Frieza anymore, you guys!" shouted Krillin happily. "Or any soldiers!"

"Maybe we should have used the second wish to bring back any people that his soldiers destroyed," said Jeice.

"There wouldn't be any point if it's all going to go to crap again soon. It would have been a wasted wish," said Yamcha.

"At least if it happens again we can put reality back again with the second wish," said Cooler.

* * *

Doctor Gero managed to sneak away into the building again. He sneaked into Bulma's room, rummaging through her cupboards and drawers until he found what he was looking for; the dragon radar - he had less than four months to find them and make his wish. He smiled wickedly, knowing that it wouldn't be a problem now that Frieza was temporarily out of the picture.

"Soon, Cell, I'll be able to bring you back."

 **UH OH! They should have know not to trust the good doctor ;)**

 **Please Review!**


	15. Liar

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **This is quite a lighthearted chapter, to make a change from the darker tone of the story. Lot's of laughing and joking around followed by suggestive conversation and some lemony messing around... yeah...**

 **CHAPTER 15: LIAR**

-One month later-

It had been a difficult job of rebuilding their own lives as well as the lives of any survivors around them. Now that the world had been wished back to normal, Bulma and the others were able to restore some of Capsule Corp, the fighters destroying most of Frieza's equipment as well as seizing some for their own use. The area of the building used for living in had remained untouched by Frieza's men as it was deemed useless, and the base was not yet complete, so everyone moved from the stadium on Papaya Island to West City to settle in and get some well deserved rest before finding the dragon balls again.

"Oh Hell... " sighed Jeice with a huge yawn, collapsing on the huge corner sofa next to Gohan. "It's actually a relief not to wear my armor for a bit." A lot of people had gathered in the large communal area to eat.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," said Gohan, who was dressed in jeans with a baggy black tank top to hide his stomach from everyone else - his jeans were still a little tight. His belly hadn't grown much more over the past five weeks, but she definitely had. He was finding it more difficult to get comfortable these days.

"Like you had to put up with armor... and I doubt you would lasted as long as I did with that, no offence."

"With what?" asked Gohan, raising an eyebrow as well as smiling, ready to shove him off the couch if he dared to call him fat.

"Well you look a bit bloated, then again you've been eating like a horse lately" he said, pointing at his stomach, which was a little more prominent than it usually would be because Gohan's shirt was being pulled from him slouching and being sat on it awkwardly. Gohan kept his inner promise, throwing him a smirk as he did shove him off the sofa and onto the floor in a heap before laughing.

"You had that coming," chuckled Gohan, holding his hand out to him and pulling him back up to sit next to him. He watched him rub the back of his head where he bumped it.

"Ha ha... seriously though, with all your training, where the hell did this come from?!" laughed Jeice, unintentionally putting his hand on it. Gohan flinched when he did, causing Jeice to snatch his hand back. "What was that?" he asked, not reassured with the look in Gohan's eyes.

"Come with me, keep your voice down," said Gohan quietly, pressing on that last part. Once they'd left the room, Gohan dragged him quickly by his hand into a nearby bathroom, locking the door behind them.

"What's going on?"

"Firstly, I'm not fat... " said Gohan, jokingly punching him in the arm.

"I never said you were," squeaked Jeice, waving his arms in front of him. "It's just, I felt something weird when I... " Jeice's eyes widened. "Holy shit! You're pregnant!"

"Remember what I said about keeping your voice down?"

"Sorry... " he whispered loudly. "Holy fucking shit, dude!" Jeice was jumping up and down like an excited child, making Gohan appreciate that at least one of his friends seemed crazier than he was himself. Gohan was soon taken by a pair of arms swinging around his neck, yanking him into an overbearing hug that rivaled even his mother's.

"That has to be the best reaction I've had so far... "

"How far are you, man? That's a really strong ki."

"Twenty weeks, got about another eight to go."

"Who else knows about this?"

"My parents and Bulma found out when I came back last month, I told Trunks while we were being held captive and Vegeta kind of worked it out for himself just before we went to rescue my dad."

"And Cell?"

Jeice wanted to take that back as soon as he said it, seeing Gohan's expression fall a little.

"Um, he knew before I did. He's the one who told me about her."

"It's girl?!"

Jeice was doing that stupid dance again, jogging on the spot as if he was desperate to pee. Gohan just laughed back at him.

"Just keep it to yourself, I really don't want anyone else knowing. Not while we're all trying to relax for once."

"Why don't you want them all knowing?"

"It might seem silly to you, but a guy being pregnant isn't a concept that's easy for earthlings to understand," he explained, before smiling again. "And I kind of like that it's a secret. It's just me and her, you know?"

Jeice yanked him into yet another suffocating hug.

"You know what this means, right?" he said, pulling back and holding him by his shoulders. "I get to be Uncle Jeice!"

"You've been wanting to call yourself that for a _long_ time, haven't you?" laughed Gohan, knowing him quite well.

"Well... yeah... but it just sounded weird. Now I have a reason."

The pair of them burst out laughing again.

* * *

Once everyone started to settle down, Gohan found himself walking past his designated bedroom and into one of the smaller living areas, where he found what he was hoping; Trunks was alone on the sofa watching an old movie. Gohan had hardly spoken to him in the past few weeks due to there being so much going on. Trunks was mostly away helping other people in the city since he had a lifetime of experience in making peace and homes out of ruins. But every time Gohan managed to look at him from across a room they were both in, his heart jumped as he'd always glance back with a smile. Whatever he'd been feeling for him wasn't going away... in fact it was getting stronger.

He walked over, sitting on the far end of the sofa before turning his head to find that he was fast asleep. Gohan smiled, watching him for a few moments before Trunks suddenly opened his mouth.

"It's rude to stare," he said, Gohan laughing back at him as he opened his eyes. He stretched a little, still slouched on the sofa. "Man, I must have only got ten minutes into this and fallen asleep."

The pair of them looked at the screen, it looked like an old western film. Gohan's heart was pounding in his chest, he could smell him again, but he still wasn't experiencing any heat to go with it.

"They not have westerns in your time?" asked Gohan.

"Uh... wasn't really into movies. There was always a lot going on. We all had radios though, we preferred listening to music." Trunks reminisced about his childhood, but then also recalled that Android 17 had a thing for acting like a cowboy for some reason; it soon put him off the movie he was watching.

"Weird, it sounds so different."

"I could have done with a radio while the world was ending. It got a little too quiet at times," laughed Trunks.

"I can't believe how much I don't know about you. I mean, I've known you for years and not asked you anything."

"Like what?" asked Trunks, looking over to him.

"I don't know... what's your favourite colour?" Gohan inwardly cringed. _Smooth, Gohan..._

"Wow, that's a really deep question," said Trunks sarcastically. Gohan just rolled his eyes, trying to stifle a laugh. "It's green, if you really wanted to know. What's yours?"

"Black," said Gohan, causing Trunks to chuckle. "What?"

"Morbid."

"You're so funny..." said Gohan dryly, throwing a cushion at him.

"What other pressing questions do you have?"

"I'm glad that you're being so open with me, I thought you liked being the _mysterious_ future warrior."

"Ah, the novelty started to wear off a couple of weeks ago," joked Trunks.

"How old were you when you learned to fly?"

"I was four," he answered, looking touched by the memories of it.

"Me too," said Gohan, before they both sat in silence for a while as the film started to get going properly. He found himself feeling restless, wanting so many things to happen at that moment, but managed to keep himself still; he was enjoying playing along.

"You all out of questions already?"

"No... "

"Go on then."

"What colour's your underwear?" he asked, managing not to take his eyes off him. He saw Trunks pause for a second as if he was wondering if he heard that right, knitting his eyebrows together before he finally looked back at him.

"Blue."

Trunks had a funny look in his eye as if he was toying with him. Gohan shuffled across to him. Trunks watched him as his hand crept across to his belt, feeling it being lifted up as Gohan peeked down his pants.

"Liar," said Gohan, taking his hand back.

"Why are you disappointed? I thought black was your favourite colour?"

"I thought I was asking the questions."

"How could you tell I was lying?"

"You blinked."

"I blinked? That's it?"

"You do it all the time. Whenever you tell a little lie to someone you blink a little too much. I saw you do it to Bulma yesterday."

"I never had you down as some kind of weird stalker," teased Trunks.

"Bite me," he said flatly.

"If that's what you're into."

Gohan swore that his cheeks were on fire, finding it embarrassing to say the least, but his stomach was beginning to flutter. In a good way. Trunks' eyes went back to the television; Gohan's did the same, though neither of them were paying much attention to the movie anyway.

"Is that what you're into as well or... "

"I guess... though I'm more of a hair puller."

"Like it rough, then?"

"I never said that," replied Trunks, the pair of them no longer suppressing their widening smiles.

"That's not an answer."

"Sometimes."

"Top or bottom?"

"Depends on how I feel." Gohan couldn't take the way Trunks was looking at him. It was as if he had saiyan side of his own that he kept tucked away unless he was fighting, the complete opposite to his normal shy, polite persona that Gohan was used to; he liked it.

"And how do you feel right now?"

"Top," he answered, looking him up and down before he said it. He was satisfied when Gohan's breathing sped up. "Everything okay?"

"I'm asking," said Gohan, trying to keep up their little game.

"Sorry," said Trunks with an obvious attitude before turning away again.

"What's your favourite position?"

"Now it's getting personal... " he said, still not letting his smirk down, and still pretending to pay attention to the movie.

"And it wasn't before?"

Gohan's voice caught in his throat when Trunks suddenly yanked him sideways, pulling him over to straddle him.

"This one," he said, staring up at him lovingly.

"So much for you being on top."

"Give it time."

Gohan leaned down, his spine was tingling as they brushed their lips together slowly.

"You hard yet?"

"No," laughed Trunks.

"Liar."

"What? Was I blinking too much?"

"The fact that I'm sat on it is telling me everything I need to know."

"Then why are you even asking?"

"I just wanted to hear it from you."

"Can I ask the questions now?"

"I suppose..." Gohan took some of Trunks' long hair in his hand, twirling it in his fingers.

"Are you ticklish?" he asked with a smirk, knowing for a fact that he was. Gohan let out a short giggle, wondering whether to lie to him or not. He avoided his eyes as they trailed off to the side. "Going shy on me?"

"No," answered Gohan, looking back at him. He was staring so much that he didn't notice a pair of hands suddenly going up to his sides to jab him, making him jerk forwards. "Don't you dare... " Trunks did it again, making Gohan laugh and grab onto his shoulders before he fell forwards again. His hands moved further up under his arms, making Gohan squeeze his arms down to stop him.

"Oh my God, you're terrible!" laughed Trunks, tracing his finger under Gohan's jaw, watching him shy away from it.

"That's not fair," groaned Gohan.

"I found the all powerful super saiyan's crippling weakness," mocked Trunks, moving his hands back down. It was almost as if he was getting his own back on Gohan's saiyan half.

"Yeah, what's your weakness?"

"Now that would be telling." Trunks got him again behind his knees, earning something that resembled a squeaking sound from Gohan as he jolted forwards again.

"Stop it!"

"Make me!"

Gohan caught Trunks' hands and pulled them off him as they reached his sides again, entwining their fingers together.

"I nearly fell off the couch just then," said Gohan, hardly containing his amusement.

"Good, you're blocking the TV," said Trunks. Gohan stuck his tongue at him and shifted to the side to sit next to him, letting go of his hands, but making sure they were still close. He rested his head on his shoulder, both of them sitting in silence pretending that they knew what the movie was about. Gohan turned his head to whisper into his ear.

"Fast or slow?" asked Gohan quietly. Trunks turned his head as well, their noses touching, yet Gohan managed to keep himself still as he felt the outside of Trunks' hand caress his cheek.

"Slow," he said; he used the same hand to tilt Gohan's head slightly, finally kissing him softly. Gohan couldn't hold himself back anymore, steadily bringing his tongue into it and fully turning himself around. He placed his hand on his face as he felt an arm snake around his waist. He soon found himself pulling Trunks forwards as he lay back flat on the couch, luring Trunks to lie on top of him. Somehow, they managed to keep their lips together.

Trunks broke away, trailing his kisses along his neck, fully aware that Gohan was pushing things further by trailing his hand down his body until Trunks felt him poking around between his legs. He brought his head up to look at him before breaking their little charade for a few seconds.

"You sure you want to do this?" he whispered, so softly that it made Gohan shiver.

"I'm sure," responded Gohan with a small smile to reassure him. Once Trunks felt okay with carrying on, Gohan bit onto his lip seductively as he brought his hand back up to push Trunks' jacket off his shoulders until it fell off sideways onto the floor.

Trunks trailed his mouth slowly down his body, tickling him a little in the process, before stopping and gently nibbling at him through his jeans. He heard him gasping, along with feeling fingers combing through his hair.

Gohan couldn't see what he was doing thanks to that curtain of long lavender hair draped over his lower torso, but he could feel his jeans being undone and tugged at. He let out something between a gasp and some sort of high-pitched sound when he suddenly felt his mouth around him, along with a hand on his hip and another wrapped under his thigh.

 _Oh... fuck..._ Gohan was vaguely aware that his mouth was stupidly hanging open, he began writhing a little as he started moving faster. He couldn't describe the sensations that shot up his spine, let alone the ones occurring in his groin. His fingers soon began gripping onto that hair in handfuls as he got closer; he was trying not to moan so loud that it could be heard outside the room. Trunks wasn't showing any signs of slowing down, but Gohan managed to at least say his name out loud to give him some sort of warning before his stomach tensed and he climaxed.

Gohan felt him swallow before he pushed himself up onto his knees again, scraping his hair back over his face with one of his hands to he could see Gohan properly; he was panting, but he seemed okay, which was a relief to Trunks.

"I was hoping to wake up with my hair in tact tomorrow, by the way," he teased, rubbing the back on his head with that same hand.

"Keep that up, and you won't have any left," panted Gohan as he came round again.

"I thought I was the hair puller," said Trunks with a smile. Gohan sat up quickly and yanked him back down on top of him by his shirt into a lustful kiss, inadvertently tasting himself.

"Want me to return the favor?" he asked quietly.

"Sure... "

"Do you want to take this somewhere else? I kind of want to hear you scream."

"You can try... " said Trunks, shooting him his naughtiest smile yet. He pulled Gohan onto his feet with him, giving him a few seconds to get his balance and fasten his jeans again. Trunks switched off the television, the movie they weren't watching seemed to be coming to a close anyway.

"You finally going to let yourself loose on me then?" asked Gohan, walking in front of him. He felt warm arms sneak around his waist and lips against his ear.

"If I do, then I think you'll be the one screaming."

"Better find somewhere soundproof then," laughed Gohan, finally opening the door and leading him out by his hand.

* * *

They ended up in Trunks' room after carefully sneaking through the hallway. Trunks switched his bedside lamp on.

"Nice chairdrobe," said Gohan as Trunks closed the door behind them, gesturing towards the pile of clothing on the desk chair.

"A clean room is a sign of laziness."

"Oh?"

"Yeah... it means you don't want to look for your stuff," joked Trunks, defending his cluttered room.

"At least your bed's made," said Gohan, resisting the urge to grab him and shove him onto it.

"Your mom got me into that habit this past year."

"It's a good habit though... "

"If you say so," said Trunks, lying down on the fresh covers on his back, one hand behind his head. Gohan just stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do with himself - he wondered what was stopping him all of a sudden. He'd done this before, more times than he'd dared to count. For some reason, this felt like the first time. Trunks sensed his nervousness, propping himself up on his elbows and holding out his hand to him with a reassuring smile. Gohan seemed to sigh with relief as he took it instantly, letting him pull him to climb over him and lay down beside him near the window. "What's up?" he quizzed, taking his hand.

"Nothing... " he lied as badly as he usually did.

"Was it too much?" asked Trunks. Gohan looked confused until he realised that he meant what happened earlier.

"Not at all... it was great... uh... " he babbled nervously, trying to laugh at himself.

"Seriously?" Trunks looked shocked, prompting Gohan to wonder why.

"Yeah... why are you so surprised by that?"

"I'll be honest... I've never done that before," he confessed.

"Really?!"

"I had no idea what I was doing!" laughed Trunks. "I hope it wasn't terrible... "

"It really wasn't terrible, I promise," said Gohan cheerfully, feeling a lot more relaxed.

"Why are you so nervous, then?"

"Um... " Gohan squeezed his eyes shut before deciding to be honest with him as well, especially after that confession. "That night when we first... do you remember any of it?"

"... Not really," confessed Trunks.

"Me neither," laughed Gohan. "It's all a blur. This feels like the first time."

Trunks smiled at him before pulling him into a hug, wrapping his arms around him protectively. Gohan sighed against him, his scent was burning in his lungs.

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to," said Trunks softly, kissing him on the forehead. Gohan lifted his head and kissed him tenderly.

"I do... just... "

"There's no rush."

"How old were you?" asked Gohan. "When you first did this?"

"Seventeen," laughed Trunks. "Was the strangest night of my life. How old were you?"

"Uh... fifteen," said Gohan, trying to normalise his situation as much as he could. "It is pretty weird when you think about it."

"I know what you mean."

"Kind of gross isn't it?" said Gohan. Trunks burst into a contagious laughter. "It's fun though."

"Oh yeah."

Suddenly, there was shouting in the hallway outside. It sounded like the Ginyu's were getting rowdy. They were both startled for a moment, brought out of their little bubble. Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Sounds like they're having fun," he said, turning over to reach for his alarm clock. "Radio should drown them out at least."

Gohan seized his opportunity just as music began to fill the room, leaning forward and kissing his neck gently. The radio stations went back on a couple of weeks ago now that the Earth was picking up the pieces after the apocalypse. Trunks took a sharp breath when Gohan's hand suddenly went up his shirt.

"Your hands are freezing," he said.

"Sorry," giggled Gohan into his ear. He pushed his shirt up to his chest, tracing his fingers across his stomach muscles. Gohan was starting to recall some moments from their first night together. He remembered seeing Trunks finally unwind in front of him for the first time. He wanted to that again, especially since neither of them were resisting this time around. Trunks was literally just lying there openly for him.

Gohan propped himself up on his elbow, leaning over him and not noticing how much he was staring until Trunks caressed his face with his free hand, the other still around Gohan's waist. He finally leaned down to kiss him passionately. Gohan was getting lost in it, severing himself from the world and focusing on him. Now that he had him distracted, he moved his hand further down, placing it on his right thigh. He felt his breathing and his heart speed up as he trailed his hand up the inside of his leg, stopping just before reaching his crotch.

"You don't have to... " whispered Trunks, giving him yet another window, but the lustful way Gohan was looking at him told him everything he needed to know. He gasped again, feeling Gohan's hand exploring his most vulnerable area. Gohan was starting to get his confidence back again, watching his face intently as he added more pressure through his clothes. He leaned back down, licking a path up his neck and then nibbling on his ear; in the mean time, his fingers were busy undoing his pants.

Though Trunks was aware of what was going on, he couldn't keep his voice to himself when that same cold hand slid into his underwear and gripped onto him. He lay as still as he could under the circumstances, writhing slightly after a few minutes as Gohan found a rhythm that he seemed to rather like. There was nowhere for him to hide as he got closer, Gohan was watching his every move like a hawk, drinking in the sounds he was making which seemed to cause a reaction between his own legs. He stopped just as those sounds started to indicate that he was almost done.

"Better turn that up a little," he whispered into his ear, reaching over him to adjust the volume of the radio slightly. He felt Trunks' heartbeat increase again.

"Yeah?" he panted, wondering what Gohan had up his sleeve. Gohan smirked at him as he threw his leg over to straddle him, before bowing down to give a soft, lingering kiss. Trunks' arms curled around his waist, pulling him closer. Gohan had a mischievous smile on his face.

"Close your eyes," he said seductively. Trunks did so straight away, hoping that leaving himself completely open would make Gohan feel more relaxed. It seemed to be working anyway; Gohan was rather enjoying himself.

Trunks felt more feather light kisses being placed on his neck and his shoulder. Gohan smiled to himself when he could seem to smell what he could only describe as pheromones radiating from him. He held himself up on top of him with his left arm, the other diving back down his body and back into his boxers, touching him teasingly. He heard him moaning softly yet desperately at that the same time. Gohan took the chance while distracting him with his fingers, carefully shuffling down him and tugging his pants down a little more to expose him completely. Just as he felt him shudder again, he bowed his head again and took him into his mouth. Trunks' eyes shot open.

He let out a loud moan. Gohan was glad he did turn the radio on in the first place. Gohan continued being as merciless as he could, concentrating on his most sensitive areas. He wasn't as afraid to play with him as much as he thought he would be. He let go of him, only using his tongue to pleasure him; Trunks was beginning to tense with every sensation, his legs curling up from their flaccid position. Gohan pinned his hips down with both his hands, determined to finish him off that way since he seemed to like it. "Gohan... I'm going to - "

Gohan felt satisfied with how much Trunks was shaking and screaming as Gohan kept licking him, getting a fulfilling orgasm out of him before he finally relaxed again. Gohan knew that it wasn't the best way of going about things, but he was never allowed to be messy with it before. Trunks mostly finished on his stomach but Gohan could feel some of it on him too. Nonetheless, he ended up cleaning his stomach off with his tongue anyway.

"Fuck... " panted Trunks once Gohan sat up.

"Yeah... "

"You okay?" he asked, wary of the odd tone of Gohan's voice.

"It's in my hair... " he laughed in response as he tried to get it out with his fingers. Trunks ended up giggling at him as he reached down to cover himself up, pulling his pants back on but not bothering to fasten them. Gohan crawled back up to him, settling in his arms.

"You're okay though, right?" asked Trunks again. Gohan lifted his head with a smile.

"I'm fine," he assured. "It was fun."

"It felt pretty amazing on my end."

"You taste good," said Gohan, not even meaning to blurt that out. He felt blood rush to his face, only glad that Trunks couldn't see it as he nuzzled into his neck more.

"So do you." Gohan swore he went even redder, and Trunks felt it against his neck. "Hey, are you hiding?"

"No!" he protested, lifting his head again and revealing just how much he'd been blushing. "Yeah... "

Trunks smiled up at him, removing his tatty, dark hair from his face. Gohan was losing his mind at his touch again, leaning forwards and kissing him hungrily. He threw his leg over him again, moving his body in an innate sort of way to try and get all of his attention. Trunks put his hands on him, moving them around his back and sides. Something primal took him over and he threw him to the side onto his back, Trunks crawling on top of him.

They lost themselves even more, Gohan parted his legs further so Trunks could get closer to him. He dragged his hands down Trunks' sides to the hem of his shirt before slowly pulling it over his head and tossing it aside. He took in the sight before him as Trunks sat up; the lavender haired, shirtless saiyan with his pants barely hanging onto his hips. Gohan wanted so much to happen at that moment.

Trunks' hand went from his legs to the button of his jeans, watching for any signs of distress in Gohan's face as he did it. Once they were unfastened, Gohan seemed fine, cooperating with him as he moved out of the way to remove them.

Gohan yanked him back down on top of him in a violent kiss, using his feet to push Trunks' jeans off his hips and taking off his own shirt as he did it. They both moaned as their skin made contact, grinding their hips against one another. Gohan was starting to go insane, they weren't close enough together - not yet.

"You're too far away... " he panted against his lips.

"I know what you mean," said Trunks, feeling something take him over as well. He sat up again, taking Gohan's underwear off before removing his own as quickly as he could. He went back to where he was, grinding their hips together again, making them both shudder and moan against each other.

"Fuck me... "

* * *

Trunks thought that this would be the last thing he'd end up doing at 3.30am - quietly rummaging through the kitchen in search of chocolate. He found a large unopened bar in one of the cupboards, before switching the light off and hurrying back to his room as silently as he could since even the Ginyu's turned in for the night; those guys seemed to be up at all hours.

He managed to get back without anyone seeing him, he'd got dressed just in case into a t-shirt and some shorts. He opened the door to find Gohan right where he left him; lying on his front, naked under the covers... and flicking through an old textbook.

"When did you start studying?" asked Gohan, reading some of the pages.

"Oh that? It's just something I used to do so I could help my mom out."

"Advanced mechanical engineering? That's way more than just a hobby. This stuff is really complex, even for a nerd like me."

"Well, it started that way, then in the past few years I guess it became like a career path."

"Handsome _and_ clever, huh?" said Gohan, causing Trunks to roll his eyes bashfully.

"Here," said Trunks, throwing him the over-sized bar of chocolate.

"Oooh, life saver! I'm starving!"

"Me too, and don't get crumbs in my bed."

"Little late for that... " said Gohan flirtatiously, pretending to mishear him.

"I said _crumbs,_ you freak," laughed Trunks as he sat down on the bed against the wall. "What happened with _your_ studies anyway? Thought you were the boy genius."

"Um... I guess I did it for my mom more than anything, but I had a real knack for physics," he said, while chewing through some chocolate. "I really enjoyed it, but after I got depressed, I just lost interest in studying altogether... it was weird. I just woke up one day and didn't want to do what I loved anymore."

"I lost interest in most things when I was depressed. I stopped fighting for a long while because I couldn't even get out of bed most mornings." Trunks took some chocolate for himself too.

"I fought _more_ , started acting on saiyan instinct since my human ones were non-existent by that point."

"You want to talk about how weird saiyan instincts are? I thought it was all about thirst for battle... then I slept with you and I realised that there's way more to it than just liking to fight."

"We're half breeds, which is even weirder. I mean, look at us tonight. We've spent most of the night fucking and now we're eating chocolate and talking about mechanics... "

"Mechanical _engineering_ actually... totally different!"

"And not to mention that this chocolate I'm craving isn't actually for me."

"Eating for two is an actual thing, huh?"

"Looks that way," laughed Gohan, finishing off a section. Trunks did the same before taking the half eaten bar off the bed. Gohan turned onto his side, pushing the covers down to reveal his stomach more. "Well... she likes chocolate," he said, feeling her wriggle inside him.

"Is she moving?" asked Trunks, sliding down into the covers with him.

"Yeah."

"Can I... "

Trunks held his hand out to touch him. Gohan was hesitant at first, the whole experience of saiyan pregnancies still feeling foreign to him. But he nodded, feeling a soft, warm hand on his lower stomach.

"I think she's shy," said Trunks, not feeling much.

"Hold on... " Gohan took his hand and moved it to the left, holding it there just as she kicked.

"Wow!"

Gohan pushed himself up a little, suddenly leaning in for a slow, sultry kiss. Trunks found himself switching off from the world again, sliding his tongue into his mouth. Both of them were trying not to laugh since all either one could taste on the other was chocolate.

"Is this saiyan instinct too, or just hormones?" asked Trunks.

"Both?" suggested Gohan, not really caring to analyze the situation too much. "You up for it?"

"Suddenly, yes... "

"Not until you take your clothes off... "

* * *

They both lay side by side in silence as they took ten minutes to get their breath back, sharing a large single bed that just about fit the two of them on. Gohan felt a hand slip into his, bringing yet another smile out of him before he opened his mouth.

"Well... that was... "

"Yeah... " Trunks turned his head to the left to look at him before he burst out laughing, making Gohan do the same. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," replied Gohan, his smile growing wider. Trunks had probably asked him that question a thousand times over the night, but he knew that he was only trying to make him feel as comfortable as possible.

Gohan turned over to kiss him gently, both of them still happy inside their bubble before a horrible sound suddenly rang through the room, causing them to pull apart.

"Seriously?"

"Uh... " Trunks reached over him to the bedside table, turning his alarm clock off and turning it around. "Yep... it's 8am."

"When the hell did morning happen?" Gohan couldn't believe that they'd been up all night, though they did spend some of it talking about little trivial things, as if they were normal for once. In between being too lost in each other, that is.

"I guess we were a little... distracted," said Trunks. He brought his arm back before sighing and falling face down onto the pillow that he and Gohan were sharing. Gohan paused for a few seconds before whispering against his ear.

"Want to get up?" he teased.

"Leave me alone... " groaned Trunks, his voice muffled against the pillow, earning a laugh from Gohan. He turned onto his side to face him, Gohan brushing his hair behind his ear for him and facing him too. "Can you get up for me?" he asked, closing his eyes.

"I would, but I'm kind of dead from the waist down."

"I'm _so_ sorry about that... "

"No you're not," scoffed Gohan, sensing the dryness of his voice.

"No, I'm not really," said Trunks, still not opening his eyes.

"Well you still have most of your hair, at least that's something."

"Wish I could say the same for you... "

Gohan actually fell for it, going to check if his hair was still on his head before playfully punching Trunks in the arm. That same arm slid around his waist, pulling him closer into another kiss. Gohan put his head down to rest on Trunks' arm as he pulled him closer and held him, brushing his fingers through his dark hair. Gohan's fingers traced across Trunks' chest, examining the worst of the injuries he received from Frieza's soldiers.

"These are healing well," he said, skimming over the scars that had a slightly lighter pigment than the rest of his skin.

"Yeah, they'll fade eventually."

Gohan's hand moved slowly down his torso as he felt his hair continuously being stroked so softly that he thought he was going to fall asleep at any moment. But something was stopping him from succumbing to it. Gohan nuzzled into where his neck met his shoulder a little more, inhaling his scent again, but this time it was different, almost coppery. Then it dawned upon him; it was blood.

He could physically smell the blood pulsing through his neck. He was scared by the new sensations he was experiencing; his subconscious wanted him to sink his teeth into his neck hard and taste it. And he would have if something else wasn't stopping him, and that something suddenly kicked him hard in the bladder.

Gohan sat up with a start, clutching his lower stomach after letting out a yelp.

"What's wrong?" Trunks looked panicked when he saw where Gohan's hand was.

"Nothing, she just... ow!" he laughed. "She's giving me a beating!"

"Definitely saiyan," said Trunks, watching him lie down again.

"Yeah, maybe she's telling me to go to sleep," he laughed.

"Might be a good idea." Gohan turned to face away from him before closing his eyes, smiling when he felt Trunks snuggle up to him, holding him in his arms again. "You sleepy too?"

"Yeah, but I'm going to have a shower and go and look for my jacket, because I can't remember where you put it, and you refuse to tell me... "

Gohan giggled, feeling a kiss place itself on his shoulder before Trunks climbed over him; he kept an eye open to watch him get dressed before he left the room, settling down to finally get some sleep. He draped his hand over his stomach, rubbing it a little as if he was trying to calm her down.

Gohan didn't know why he could suddenly smell blood, but only _his_ blood at that. He wanted to talk about it, but something was stopping him from doing that as well, it was if something in the back of his mind was waiting for the right moment.

 _I don't want to be a saiyan anymore..._

 **I may actually go forwards another month in the next chapter... three guesses on what might happen there...**

 **Please Review**


	16. Life Lessons

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 16: LIFE LESSONS**

Gohan had been doing so well, so well that he didn't even count the days anymore. It had been almost four months since he last cut himself, only realising yesterday that this was the longest he'd gone without doing it since he was twelve years old. It was safe to say that he was 'getting there', as he put it to others, but right now... he felt very uncomfortable, especially with a persistent ache at the base of his spine that seemed to be getting worse.

That day, he'd reached week twenty-five. His stomach had grown only a tiny bit more, but enough for him to finally retire his jeans and return to wearing his gi pants instead. Nobody, apart from those who obviously knew, had noticed, since he kept his bump under wraps with baggy shirts.

Any promiscuous activity with Trunks had stopped altogether over the past month; as much as he wanted to, whenever Gohan lay down next to him, he'd literally just fall asleep. Trunks never minded, actually finding it 'cute', much to Gohan's embarrassment.

Due to Gohan's bump being so small, he could feel literally everything that she was doing in there, every single kick, punch and turn. He couldn't wait until she was born, but at the same time he didn't want her to be born - he'd have a tiny little person depending on him for the rest of his life. How was he meant to look after her when he could barely look after himself?

Chi Chi and Goku had reassured him that they didn't know what they were doing either... they still didn't know what they were doing half the time. It didn't make him feel any better, and neither did her restlessness. He had other things on his mind, more so than usual because of a combination of both human and saiyan hormones coupled with insomnia. He decided that today was the day that he'd do it, throwing himself onto his feet from the sofa and marching out of the room.

* * *

Gohan found Trunks in one of the basements, it was one of his favourite hiding places where he liked messing around with gadgets to pass the time and learn a few more things. He was leaning over one of the counters, poking at the innards of one of Frieza's devices with a small screwdriver.

"Hey," he said, looking up at him briefly with a smile before going back to what he was doing.

"Hey," answered Gohan nervously, resting his lower back against the counter next to him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"This thing that we have... "

Gohan noticed that Trunks was no longer concentrating on what he was doing anymore, staring blankly at it. It wasn't very reassuring.

"Yeah?"

"Look, I don't expect you to... especially after everything I've done. But I think I can finally say that I'm getting better," said Gohan. He was mentally slapping himself in the head, cringing at himself as he wasn't explaining his feelings very well. Trunks remained silent, waiting for him to finish. "I really like our... thing... and I kind of... I want more out of it."

"I don't want to push you into anything," said Trunks, still not looking at him.

"You're not, you're really not. You've been so patient with me, especially lately. It's very different to what I'm used to, and it feels like a lot more than just... I've both been there and done that with these kind of relationships and it never ends well."

"Gohan... "

"I _really_ like you. You're a lot more than just a friend. Or a thing."

Trunks was definitely listening hard, though persistently avoiding looking at him as he was talking.

"Sorry... I don't even know what I'm... " Gohan took his silence negatively, turning to leave the room. Trunks reached out, pulling him back by his hand to stop him.

"I feel the same... " said Trunks, reassuring Gohan. "But, like I said, I don't want to push you into anything when you've already got so much more going on."

Gohan understood that he was referring to the imminent birth of his child, a child that he'd impossibly conceived with somebody else.

"I just know that I wouldn't have got this far without you," he said. "I wanted you to know that. And I wanted you to know that I'm ready if you are."

"If you're sure," said Trunks, smiling at him.

"I'm definitely sure... I think I've been sure for about a week now, but I've been too scared to tell you - "

Gohan was instantly cut off when he was yanked into a kiss.

"Keep babbling, it's hilarious," laughed Trunks.

"You only agreed to this so you could get away with making fun of me, didn't you?"

"... Maybe." Trunks' infectious sense of humor earned him a light punch to the shoulder.

"Only you could possibly get away with that... and probably Jeice. Wow, I really need to do something about that -" Gohan was aware that he was babbling again.

"You're a _strange_ boyfriend," said Trunks slowly rolling his eyes. Gohan paused for a second.

"I'm a boyfriend?"

"Yeah... if you want... " Gohan could tell that he was becoming nervous by the way his eyes drifted to the right; he could definitely pull off shyness better than he ever could.

"I've never had a boyfriend before... " said Gohan, cringing again at the fact that he sounded like a timid little ten year old.

"Me neither," laughed Trunks, now looking at him again. "New territory for me too, you know."

"Oh yeah... forgot you were straight," taunted Gohan, playfully pulling on his jacket.

"Well, you can be pretty girly sometimes. Maybe that's it."

"Said the guy with long _lavender_ hair... "

"You're the one that's pregnant, here. I think I win."

"Haaa... screw you," jeered Gohan dryly. Trunks pulled him closer, pressing their foreheads together and staring at him lustfully, causing a familiar flutter in Gohan's chest. "Um... that was sarcasm by the way."

"I know," he whispered, before kissing him tenderly. Gohan's incessant giggling pulled them apart.

"Boyfriend... " Trunks returned with his own giggling, though Gohan seemed to think that he could pull that off better than he could as well. He was wondering how long it would take his legs to collapse since there was so much blood rushing to his face. "You want to keep it a secret or... "

"Yeah, I kind of like having you all to myself," answered Trunks. "Plus, I don't know how my father is going to take it either... "

"True... and like you said, other stuff going on." Gohan's eyes traveled down himself to his stomach, Trunks' hand appeared on it, prompting her to start moving again. "I'm going to go. I need a bath."

"Girl... "

"How does _that_ make me a girl?!"

Trunks shrugged back at him, sending him another teasing smile.

* * *

The bath didn't seem to help, that dull ache at the base of his spine seemed to have got worse, along with his headache. _Maybe I just need something to eat._ It was dinner time after all, Gohan put his gi on and made his way towards the door, stopping in his tracks when the ache in his back shot around to the front. It was too quick for him to double over completely, but he held on to the door frame. He shook it off, heading downstairs.

"Hey, Gohan. You okay?" asked Goku, handing him a plate of food.

"Mhmm, " nodded Gohan with an uneasy smile as he got another pain, this one radiating into his hips.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, she's just kicking again."

"She's a lively one," said Goku, rubbing his shoulder in a comforting manner. "You were exactly the same when your mom was having you."

They were talking quietly in the corner of the room, being as discrete as they possibly could since those who knew about Gohan's situation were still few. The room was now full of the entire gang who were talking and eating.

Gohan took his plate and went sit down on the sofa next to Jeice on the far side of the room. He stopped again when another pain hit him around his lower stomach, but this time it felt more like an ongoing cramp. He stood still for a second regaining his balance and waiting for it to pass. A part of him knew what it was... but it was too soon for it - right?

"Hey, kid," said Jeice, his expression soon falling when he saw him stop again just before he sat down. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah... "

"You don't fool me."

Before Gohan could convince him otherwise, he dropped his plate as he finally doubled over. It smashed onto the floor, food scattering about, causing everyone to turn around. Gohan cried out in agony as another wave hit him, a much stronger one. Jeice stood up immediately, holding him up by his shoulders.

"Oh... okay... " Jeice caught on instantly, springing into action and laying him down on the sofa. Tien was sat on there as well, he moved out of the way and put a cushion behind Gohan's head for him.

Gohan curled up into a ball on his side clutching his stomach as the pains got worse, and much closer together. His body was doing something foreign - or it was _trying_ to do something that it wasn't designed to do. The whole experience felt completely unnatural. He didn't know what to do.

"Gohan?" He just about made out who it was, Vegeta was hovering over him. "I need to take a look at you."

"She - she's coming isn't she?" he grunted through his teeth.

"I think so," said Vegeta.

"It's too soon!" he cried, becoming more distressed by the second.

 _This isn't right! Why is this happening so quickly?_ Then he remembered that Vegeta had told him nothing about the actual labor of a saiyan, probably due to the fact that he wasn't going to give birth to her naturally since he was incapable of doing so.

Then the reality of the next few hours dawned on him all at once... he was going to have surgery soon, he was going to have a _daughter_ today. If she survived the birth being so early... what if Gohan didn't survive it and she did? What if neither of them made it? Gohan didn't have enough hands to literally slap himself out of it and hold onto his stomach at the same time.

Vegeta undid his belt and lifted his shirt, feeling around until he could feel what position she was in.

"She's trying to come out. It's time."

"She who? What's going on?" asked Krillin.

"It's a long story," said Bulma as she left the room to get the medical area ready for what she was about to do. She'd never done anything like this before, but had spent the past few weeks studying how to do this kind of operation and, with Vegeta's help, how to do it on a saiyan.

"What's wrong with Gohan, mom?" asked Goten, growing worried about his brother.

"Trunks, get over here!" yelled Vegeta. Gohan felt a tiny piece of relief when he saw him run over to him. "I'll grab his legs, we need to move him to the medical room."

Gohan let out another shaky groan when Trunks lifted him up into a sitting position, but his body seemed to feel better just being touched by him. He felt himself getting weaker as they lifted him up and carried him out of the room.

"What's going on?" asked Krillin, turning to Jeice.

"Gohan's uh... look it isn't my place," said Jeice, looking at Goku mostly. "Look, man, they're obviously going to find out at some point. Especially since it's happening now."

"What is?! What's happening?!" cried Piccolo. He was shaking at the sound of Gohan's pain, wanting to rush over and help. That paternal instinct never left him. "What did he mean by 'she's coming'?"

"I guess there's no easy way of saying this... he's having a baby," said Goku.

"He's what?!"

"But how?!" yelled Yamcha, the rest of the gang following him.

"Oh wow, really?!" shouted Burter, the rest of them turning the the Ginyu's.

"Gohan has to be the first male saiyan to have a child since Planet Vegeta was destroyed!" said Guldo.

* * *

Gohan was hooked up to a few monitors, as well as having various tubes stuck in his arms and hands; the pain was getting much worse, he felt like he was getting fuller, if that was even the right word for it.

"Vegeta... I feel... there's something wrong," he panted as he began sweating.

"It's just labor pains. It's normal."

"No! Somethings wrong with her! She's not moving!"

Vegeta sensed it instantly, her ki was wavering oddly. He lifted up his shirt again for him to find what was causing him worry; his stomach was slightly more swollen than usual... with purple bruising all over it.

"Bulma we have to do this now!"

"What's going on?" asked Gohan. "I'm scared... "

"You're bleeding, but the blood has nowhere to escape to."

Bulma came over to him, giving him some intravenous relaxants.

"That spinal should be kicking in anytime now. Then we can get her out."

Gohan started to calm down instantly as the relaxants made their way into his blood, but it didn't make him any less delirious.

"I can't feel my legs... I can't feel her!"

"That's the spinal. It's time."

 _Switch_

"What ever you do, make sure you s-save her," said Gohan.

"We will, don't worry," said Vegeta.

"Even if you can't save me then promise me you'll make sure she's okay!"

"Don't talk crap, you're going to be fine!" Vegeta felt his hand being grabbed hard.

"Promise me!"

Vegeta could see that this wasn't the Gohan he was used to, but he nodded.

"I promise."

 _Switch_

* * *

Trunks was made to wait outside, he wanted to be in there with him. More than anything. He didn't want Gohan to go through the most life changing thing to ever happen to him by himself. He wanted to be in there holding his hand and letting him know that everything was going to be okay.

"Trunks, what's going on in there?" asked Goku as he and Chi Chi ran up to them.

"They're operating on him."

* * *

"I can see her," said Bulma, opening him up a little more.

Gohan was so scared, he had nothing to hold on to except for the rails of the bed. He couldn't see what was going on behind a makeshift screen made out of blankets which was cutting the rest of himself off at his chest. He heard a sudden rush of fluid, along with feeling a lot of uncomfortable pulling.

Vegeta could hear him just about controlling his breathing, though he let out a whimper now and again. Then he saw a tear finally escape from his right eye. Gohan suddenly felt a hand on his which was still gripping onto the rail.

"It's okay. It's almost over," said Vegeta quietly. That must have been the softest thing he'd ever heard from the man, but it only made him realise how desperate the situation was.

"She's here!" said Bulma.

Gohan stared at the ceiling, gritting his teeth as he vaguely felt something being pulled out of his lower stomach. But there was silence.

"Is she okay?" No answer, all he could see was Vegeta, otherwise he was blocked off from everything else. "What's going on? Is she okay?!"

Those seconds felt like an eternity. Gohan went numb inside, convinced that he'd lost her before a cry suddenly erupted from behind the barrier.

"She's fine! She just needed a little help," said Vegeta, who sounded equally as relieved. Gohan saw Vegeta pick something up and then brought it round from behind the screen and into his line of sight.

She was tiny.

She was squirming in the confines of a blood covered blanket, letting out short little cries and stretching her limbs out. Gohan reached out to touch her, caressing her little face with the outside of his index finger. He tried to bring himself to speak, but nothing came out, just a smile that he just about managed as he was slowly growing weaker. Vegeta looked down at her. She was a bit smaller than he would have hoped, but she seemed perfectly healthy. She looked just like any other saiyan baby, her tail was tangled around her own leg, sticky and covered in blood.

"Gohan?"

Vegeta looked back at him to find that his eyes had closed. He shook him with one hand, but there was nothing.

"Bulma! Hurry, he's passed out!"

* * *

Gohan's eyes flickered open a couple of hours later, the light in the room was blinding at first until his vision began to focus again.

"Gohan?"

He just about made out that it was his parents that were sat beside him.

"You're okay, sweetie," said Chi Chi. Gohan tried to move from his propped up position as he came round. "Try no to move! You lost a lot of blood."

"Where is she?" he asked weakly.

Bulma soon walked over with a small bundle. Gohan instantly held his arms out weakly to her, not knowing why, but followed his instincts. It actually hurt him that he wasn't touching her. Bulma sat on the edge of the bed turning her around and placing her on Gohan's chest. Everything else in the world seemed to disappear at that moment, deducting that he didn't know what real love was until now.

"Hey," he said softly. She seemed to curl up against him, breathing contently as her little tail coiled around Gohan's wrist. Though he'd held his brothers before when they were babies, it wasn't anything like this. He held onto her as if she was made of glass.

"It's going to take a couple of days until you can walk around. The pregnancy put so much strain on your body that you bled quite a bit. The womb was too damaged for me to save, I had to remove it."

"It's okay, I don't think I want to go through that again," said Gohan absently, still mesmerized by the way she smelled.

"You thought of any names?" asked Chi Chi.

"No... " laughed Gohan weakly. He knew he'd forgotten something. But he drew a complete blank as he started to consider what he was going to call her.

"I think we should let Gohan rest, now," said Vegeta.

"Do you want us to take her while you sleep?" asked Goku.

"No, I'm fine," said Gohan.

"Just leave him to it, these first moments are pivotal for saiyans," said Vegeta, ushering them out of the room as they bid him goodnight.

Gohan didn't care how much he was smiling like an idiot, He'd finally been given some real purpose in life, this little girl was going to depend on him for the rest of his life. Instead of not feeling good enough for her like he used to, he decided to take everything he'd been through and use it to teach her how to do things right. It was the least he could have done after how she came to be in the first place.

That was the first time he'd thought about Cell in weeks. And then he looked down at her tiny face, sound asleep on his chest. There was no sign of him in her at all. In fact she looked just like Gohan, with her pale skin and thick wisps of black hair on her head. _You're so beautiful._ He wondered how something so innocent and pure could come out of their kind of relationship.

The fact that she was sleeping so peacefully in him was making him also slowly drift off.

* * *

He woke up the next morning, wondering if it was all a dream until he saw her still on his chest, though she'd since huddled into him more; he could feel her soft hair tracing his neck. She seemed to wake up to, suddenly squirming around again and grabbing onto his hospital gown in tiny handfuls. She wasn't even a day old and already trying to lift her head.

"Life lesson number one, don't try to grow up too fast," said Gohan, stroking her head. He heard a knock at the door. "Come in."

Trunks walked in, quietly closing the door behind him.

"Hey," he said, instantly smiling at the sight before him. Gohan looked rather well, considering the ordeal he went through the night before. He walked over, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," laughed Gohan. "Worth it though. She's perfect."

"She's beautiful," said Trunks, still smiling as he slipped his finger into her hand. "Hi," he laughed as she gripped onto it.

"You know you're not getting that back, right?" said Gohan, Trunks still laughing as she began moving around again, making small squeaking noises. He leaned forwards and kissed Gohan on the forehead.

"I'm just glad you're both okay," he said. Gohan took one hand off the baby and took Trunks' hair, tucking it back behind his ear before kissing him for a few seconds.

"Do you want to hold her?"

"Uh... "

"You've never held a baby before have you?" asked Gohan, smiling at just how cute he found how nervous Trunks was.

"What if I break her?"

"You won't, I'll show you." Gohan just about managed to push himself up a little, ignoring the pain radiating from the stitched up incision on his lower stomach, along with the internal bruising. "Hold your arms out." Trunks did so, watching Gohan place her carefully into his arm. "Just watch her head... "

Trunks couldn't believe how small she was, but the more he held her, the more confident he got. He felt something furry curl around his wrist ans hold it tightly.

"I think that means that she likes you," said Gohan, just watching him hold her, she wasn't the only one that he thought was beautiful at that moment. They heard another knock on the door, but they walked in anyway.

"Hey Gohan, how are you feeling?" asked Bulma, who was followed by Vegeta and Goku. "Oh, hi Trunks!"

"Hey," he said, still concentrating on not 'breaking' the baby.

"Can I?" asked Goku, gesturing at her.

"Go for it," said Gohan, watching him take her from Trunks.

"Hi there! I'm your grandpa!" he said cheerfully to the little bundle in his arms. He walked around the room with her for a few minutes until she began to cry.

"I think she's getting hungry," said Gohan, also wondering how in the hell he was going to feed her.

"Don't worry, Gohan, the guys have took care of that," said Bulma, holding up a bottle full of formulated milk in her hand that was prepared a while back. "Everyone knows about her. So they went out into the city into some of the old department stores and got you a bunch of supplies."

"You thought of any names yet?" asked Goku, trying to console a hungry saiyan baby was proving difficult.

"I'm still thinking of one," said Gohan, half-lying since he hadn't really given it much thought at all since he'd been sleeping. Goku handed her back to him as he sat up properly. Being a saiyan, Gohan was healing quite quickly. He let her suck on his finger to calm her down a little.

"That should be the right temperature," said Bulma, giving him the bottle. Gohan got stuck in right away. "Wow, you seem to know what you're doing anyway."

"Two baby brothers," said Gohan, watching her devour the contents of the bottle rather quickly.

* * *

The sun was soon setting again. Gohan felt a lot less sore and felt himself getting stronger again. He'd just finished changing her fifth diaper that day, but she seemed happy. He heard another knock at the door.

"Yeah?"

Piccolo walked inside, his cape wafting behind him as it usually did.

"Hey, kid," he said, giving him a warm smile. That was the first time he'd seen the baby. Gohan picked her up after wrapping her in her blanket again and letting her rest on his lap in one of his arms. He tail wrapped around his wrist again, letting him know that she was happy.

"I'm sorry," said Gohan, finally looking at him.

"What for?"

"Not telling you about all this... sorry for everything really."

"You've nothing to apologise for, Gohan."

"But I do," said Gohan, finally welling up as the past two days caught up with him. "Everything that I've put you through, everything bad I've ever said to you... everything I've done."

"You lost your way, Gohan. That's all," said Piccolo softly. "But you've found it again."

"You seem so sure about that."

"Look at her. She's your path now."

"I just can't believe it," sighed Gohan as he stared at her. "I can't believe that she's the product of something so destructive and so full of pain."

"And now you've got somebody to be strong for."

"Yeah."

"You thought of a name for her yet?"

Gohan was getting annoyed with that question, going through many names in his head that he's come up with during the day before his brain finally clicked when he looked down at her.

"I think I have," said Gohan.

Piccolo smiled at him again before leaving the room and closing the door. Gohan stroked her little face again, prompting her to grip onto his finger and start chewing on it. He laughed contently.

"Nita."

* * *

Doctor Gero sneaked back in through the window on the ground level of Capsule Corp, hiding the dragon radar in his jacket as he rushed back down to the basement. He'd set off again as soon as Gohan's baby was born.

He sealed the door to his lab shut, going back to his latest project; building a replica of the dragon radar so that he didn't look too suspicious. He kept having to steal Bulma's.

"That's four dragon balls now, it won't be long before you're back at your best, Cell," he said, turning around to check the monitors around the bed. Cell hadn't moved in the past few months now, that spark of brain activity remained the same; not getting better, but at least, not getting worse.

He was confident that nobody had suspected his motives so far, since he rarely spent any longer than two days out there looking. He kept the dragon balls he had safely in a container that blocked their signals - and kept that in a capsule in his pocket.

"I'm not too far from the next one, either."

 **I was considering calling her Pan for a long while, but came to the conclusion that she was already an established character, and Nita is officially one of my OC's. Just out of interest, what would you guys have called her?**

 **Please Review!**


	17. Copper

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 17: COPPER**

Two weeks passed, Gohan was getting used to having a baby to look after, but at the same time he still felt terrified everyday that he was going to do something wrong.

Everyone had met Nita a few days after she was born when Gohan was strong enough to look after her properly. Though he kept himself hidden away most days, this particular night he was enjoying a relaxing evening with his closest friends.

"What the actual fuck is that noise?" asked Jeice.

"I think she's singing... " said Gohan.

"Either that or she's dying," said Krillin.

"This is the worst rendition of a national anthem I've ever heard," deduced Trunks. "Maybe the fact that she's been cheated on might have something to do with it."

The four of them were watching an old movie that they'd dug out of one of the closets. Jeice was still making his way through another bowl of popcorn. He and Gohan were lying on their stomachs on one of the beds in Krillin's room. Krillin and Trunks were sat on the floor, leaning against the bed. Nita was sound asleep in her basket nearby, Gohan looking over to her every ten minutes or so.

"Well her husband's got the right idea... I mean... if he had to listen to that," complained Jeice with a mouthful of popcorn.

"Now that you mention it, it does sound pretty brutal," said Gohan, still playing with some of Trunks' hair in his hand; luckily he was sat on the far end of the bed so Jeice and Krillin couldn't see what he was doing. They were hell bent on the movie anyway, so they wouldn't have noticed.

"I think I'd be screaming if I were in her situation," said Trunks, as the woman on the television seemed to be sounding crazier by the second.

"Like that?!" said Jeice.

Gohan got most of Trunks' hair out of the way, trailing his fingers slowly up and down his neck. He was in a strange mood that night; now that his body had settled down again, he was feeling particularly mischievous. Trunks stopped concentrating on the movie, turning his head a little to the right. It wasn't enough to look at Gohan entirely, but it let him know that he had his attention, before he turned back to the screen.

"Hey, is Nita okay?" asked Krillin. "We're not being too loud, are we?"

Gohan peered over to the basket, seeing that she was still fast asleep, but also carrying on with what he was doing to Trunks.

"She's fine. I need to feed her soon anyway."

Their expressions were soon filled with horror when the woman began yelling at her football player husband in front of the whole stadium during the film.

"What the hell, man?!" yelled Jeice.

With Jeice and Krillin fixated on the film, Gohan shuffled forwards a little, tenderly nipping at Trunks' neck. He hated to admit that he still got a rush out of sneaking around. Trunks closed his eyes, tilting his head to the left to give him more access. It was making his spine tingle when he felt the biting being replaced by delicate kisses. Gohan reached his ear lobe before introducing his tongue.

"Aw man, I'm out of popcorn," said Jeice.

"Again?!" said Gohan, pulling away.

"Yeah, I'm going to get some more. Wait for this damn singing to pass."

"I'll come too, I want some. You guys need anything?" asked Krillin as he stood up.

"Could you get Nita's bottle for me? It's on the counter."

"Yeah sure, be back in a sec."

As soon as the door shut, Gohan began laughing, prompting Trunks to turn his head around to look at him.

" _You_ are on thin ice," said Trunks quietly, not suppressing his smirk very well.

"Stop tasting so good then," answered Gohan, he'd been teasing him all night.

"Do I look like popcorn to you?" asked Trunks, turning back round. Gohan pressed his lips against his ear.

"Nah, you taste a lot better than popcorn," he laughed, biting on his ear. Trunks bit his lip, before turning back around; he held the back of Gohan's head and kissed him hungrily.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," said Trunks.

"Just that?" asked Gohan suggestively.

"Okay, maybe a little more than just that."

They kissed again, Gohan was leaning over a lot more and sliding his hand down his neck and into his shirt to feel around Trunks' chest.

"Take it off?" asked Gohan, referring to his shirt, just as everything really kicked off on the television.

"Is it me or the movie that's turning you on this much?"

"Yeah... the football player's kind of hot, don't you think?" teased Gohan, Trunks pulled Gohan's hand out of his shirt and held on to it.

"Your scar healing okay?"

"Yeah, why?" Gohan was confused for a second before Trunks suddenly yanked on his arm and flipped him over off the bed, landing in a heap on the floor. "Owww... "

Trunks just laughed at just how successful his prank was, watching Gohan rub his head.

"That's for teasing me."

"You love being teased," said Gohan, sitting up again and making sure Nita was still asleep.

"Two can play at that game," said Trunks, his arms darting out and tickling his sides mercilessly. It was taking all of Gohan's strength not to scream the place down, but he managed to get up onto his knees and grab hold of his hands to stop him. They were soon kissing again passionately until Gohan pulled back.

"Shame they're coming back, isn't it?" sighed Gohan, not letting down his smile.

"Yeah... real shame."

Gohan sat down with his back against the bed next to Trunks as they heard Krillin and Jeice talking with their mouths full as they entered the room again.

"What did we miss?" asked Krillin.

"A big fight," said Trunks, referring to the huge brawl taking place on the screen.

"Man, that's the last time I walk out on a movie," said Krillin, handing Gohan Nita's bottle. Gohan placed it on the floor next to him.

Gohan watched them settle down and began tormenting Trunks further, sneaking his hand behind him and placing it under his shirt, slowly and softly dragging his nails up and down his lower back. There was no telling what he would have done to him by now if they were completely alone. Trunks was trying not to let out a moan as he felt goosebumps appear on his skin, it was humming under Gohan's fingers. His hand began sneaking around to his side, tormenting him a little more before finally stopping and placing itself on the floor between them.

Gohan and Trunks smiled at each other, Trunks sliding his hand into his. Then they all heard squeaking coming from Nita's basket.

"Rise and shine," said Gohan as he shuffled over to her, picking her up in his arms and scooting back to where he was next to Trunks. He rested her upright against his chest so that her head lay on his shoulder. Her tail coiled around his wrist like it usually did whenever he soothed her, but she managed to drag her head around, letting it flop on his shoulder again. Trunks found himself being stared down by a newborn baby... again.

"Why does she keep doing that?" asked Trunks, not that he minded. He would have done anything for that little face.

"I think it's your hair," said Gohan. "She's drawn to bright colours." He kissed her lovingly on the top of her head. She was still so tiny in his hands, but she fit a little better into her clothes. A white baby grow with a hole cut in the back for her tail.

"Hey little one," said Jeice softly as he crawled across the bed to lean over between Gohan and Trunks, shaking her hand with his red finger. "Is Uncle Jeice bright enough to make you smile?" he said, referring to his skin as well as his thick white hair.

"I think it's purples, pinks and yellows more than anything else as far as I can tell."

"Ooh, is Trunks your favourite then, Nita?"

"Yeah, she likes his girly hair."

"It's not girly!" complained Trunks, knowing that Gohan was just joking around; they started to hear sucking noises coming from Gohan's shoulder, watching Nita begin chewing on him.

"I think it's food time," he said, bring her round to rest in his right arm as he reached for her bottle. "As much as you love eating me, I'm afraid I'm not very good for you."

The rest of them turned back to carry on watching the movie once Nita got comfortable, swigging down the contents of her bottle rather quickly. They really admired him; as strange as the situation was, Gohan seemed to be completely natural with her. It suited him immensely.

"Aah, crap. This is her last one," groaned Gohan, realising that he'd completely forgot to make more. "I need to make another one for her to have in a couple of hours."

"A couple of hours?! You saiyans are bottomless pits!" said Krillin.

"You go and make it, I'll feed her," said Jeice.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I've done it before," said Jeice, carefully taking her off him and sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"I'll be right back, I think I need something to eat too," said Gohan as he stood up.

* * *

Gohan sighed as he leaned against the kitchen counter, rubbing his tired eyes. Nita was doing rather well, only waking up twice, three times at the most, during the night so far. But even when she was sleeping, he couldn't help but stay up and watch her as if she was going to get up and start running around. He let the water boil in the kettle, waking up a little as the door opened.

"There any donuts in here?" asked Trunks, walking straight to the fridge.

"If there are then save me a few," yawned Gohan. He could have done with a much needed sugar rush. Trunks pulled out a half eaten box, placing it on the counter.

"Get some sleep, sounds like you need it," said Trunks. "We'll watch Nita for you if you want."

"Nah, it's cool." Gohan found himself eyeing Trunks up again, blatantly doing it so he could see him.

"You going to keep your hands to yourself once we're back in there?"

"Do you really want me to?"

"No... " laughed Trunks. "But carry on like that and they'll start to notice something."

"I can't help it, I like you... and your girly hair."

"It's not girly... " said Trunks cheerfully, giving him a playful shove.

"It is a little."

"Not it isn't!"

Gohan yanked him forwards by his jacket, crashing their lips together into another hungry kiss, letting themselves go a little more.

"You're driving me insane... " whispered Gohan, pulling back slightly.

"Good," said Trunks in a deep, husky whisper that made Gohan shake as he returned some of those shallow kisses to his neck.

"You know, my mom said that she'd happily take Nita for a night... " Trunks pulled back, laughing at his persistence.

"Shouldn't you be using your free time to catch up on sleep instead of - "

"Fucking you?" Gohan bit his lip as he shot him a flirty smile.

"Well, when you put it like that... " Trunks kissed him again, holding Gohan around his waist. "And for the record... you've got way more girlish hair than me."

Gohan jokingly punched him in the arm, prompting him to finally walk away with the half box of donuts.

"You'd better not eat all those," said Gohan, picking up the kettle and filling up two bottles. He laughed to himself as Trunks left the kitchen. He'd just put the kettle down when he felt a wave suddenly come over him, causing him to stumble and catch himself on the counter. He rapidly started to burn up, feeling his stomach begin to turn.

 _Great..._

* * *

"What took you so long?" asked Jeice, still holding Nita who had long since finished eating. Gohan walked into the room sheepishly, avoiding eye contact with everyone as he put Nita's next bottle in her basket.

"I just had to take care of a few things."

"Are you okay? Your cheeks are bright red."

"Uh... yeah, I think I must be coming down with something," lied Gohan. Well, it wasn't entirely a lie. He avoided eye contact with Trunks specifically. "I'm going to take Nita to my mom, I think I just need to rest for a few hours."

Gohan stood between Krillin and Trunks, taking Nita from Jeice's arms carefully, also unwittingly being close to another saiyan while the heat started to build up inside him. He tried not let on that it was making him shiver. Trunks accidentally inhaled an intoxicating scent coming from Gohan, that obviously only he noticed. He didn't need to see Gohan's face to know that he'd gone into heat.

"Okay, get well soon!" said Krillin.

"Yeah, thanks," said Gohan, his voice quivering. He quickly made his way out of the room with the handles of the basket hooked around his arm, holding Nita upright against himself.

"He deserves a night off, he hasn't slept since the day she was born. Maybe even before that," said Krillin, pausing when he saw Trunks staring off into the distance. "Hey, you alright?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, fine," mumbled Trunks, trying not to let on how much Gohan had just knocked him sideways.

* * *

Gohan knocked on his parents' door, gradually feeling worse with every step.

"Come on, come on... " he muttered, restlessly tapping his foot. He was trying to keep as calm as possible, not wanting to upset Nita. She started becoming unsettled in his arms, as if she could sense that something was going on. Chi Chi finally opened the door to him.

"Hi, I wasn't expected a visit at this hour! Hello, sweet girl!" she cooed, reaching to stroked Nita's face. Her smile fell when she got a proper look at her son, who was now heavily flustered. "Gohan, you look terrible! Are you okay?"

"It's just a cold or something."

"You're burning up," she said, feeling his forehead.

"I'll be fine, I just need to sleep it off. I need you take her," he said, handing her over along with her basket. "It's just for tonight, I don't want her to catch anything."

"No problem, hun," she said softly. "You go and get some rest, you haven't slept properly for weeks as it is. That's probably why you're getting sick."

"Yeah, probably," he said before hurrying off to his room before he started to let on that his legs were beginning to weaken. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sleep as much as you want! We'll look after her!" she shouted down the corridor as Gohan ran off. "Hm, you're daddy is very strange sometimes, isn't he?" Nita just squeaked back at her, settling down again.

* * *

Gohan had been lying in his bed for a few hours, still extremely warm despite attempting to relieve the pain by himself. Masturbating only stopped him feeling rotten for a few seconds before it came back again. He kicked off the covers, putting his clothes back on, and wandering out of the room. This wasn't going away by itself.

He reached Trunks' room. He really needed this to go away, no matter how much he also wanted to go to sleep... he could sleep later. Right now, he needed the churning in his stomach to stop. He knocked on the door quietly, relieved when it opened.

"Hey, what's... up... " Trunks could feel it instantly radiating from him. Gohan walked past him into his room, leaning against the wall behind him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry... I just need... " Gohan grunted as another wave him, his cheeks were flushed. Trunks didn't know what it was, but that scent from earlier was ten times stronger than it was before... it was driving him crazy. "I need this to stop hurting."

Trunks was staring at him, Gohan suddenly felt his heart beat even faster as he could see a dark, predatory look in his eye, a look he'd never seen before.

"Make it stop... " he pleaded. As soon as Gohan pushed himself off the wall to approach him, he was shoved back against it again. Trunks was right up against him, brushing their lips together.

"You smell amazing... "

Gohan dragged his hands up his torso, stopping at his shoulders and sliding around the back of his neck, luring him into a kiss. Trunks pulled them even closer together by his waist, if it was possible; Gohan even tasted better than he usually did, his breath felt hot. Something primal seemed to have took him over within seconds, his hand moving from Gohan's waist to his crotch, rubbing it.

This was definitely the most intense heat he'd experienced so far, he was so caught up in it that he was shaking as if he was angry. It was safe to say that the saiyan in him wasn't in the mood for soft play. He could feel something violent brewing inside him.

"Trunks... stop... I'll lose control," he panted. "I might hurt you."

"I don't care," said Trunks. "I want you to."

Gohan forcefully yanked his jacket off him, throwing it to the floor before pushing him backwards onto the bed. He climbed on top of him before he could get up again, straddling his hips.

"You sure?" asked Gohan, retaining the one shred of self control that he had left. He couldn't resist him for much longer, he was staring up him with those annoyingly alluring blue eyes with his hair splayed out under his head. Trunks didn't answer him, simply latching onto his hips and grinding up against him.

Gohan responded to him, grinding back down and pushing his shirt up and pulling it off over his head. He pulled his own off slowly, first undoing his belt and then sliding it over his head, not slowing his movements. He leaned down again, brushing their noses together; he had no idea why, but that coppery smell of his blood came rushing back to him and filling his lungs, but it didn't really scare him this time. Once he had him distracted enough, he found himself unconsciously going for his neck.

Trunks turned his head to stop him, Gohan bringing his head back and attempting to go for him again, only to be physically pushed back. Gohan ended up grabbing his upper arms and forcing them down with a growl, holding him securely to the bed... or so he thought.

Gohan had no idea why he needed to go for his neck, he'd never had the urge to until now. But as he leaned down again he was pushed to the side. Gohan began fighting Trunks as he began to advance on him, pushing him onto his back. Gohan gave one last shove but his wrists were caught and held down over his head as Trunks finally settled on top of him. Now Trunks was the one leaning down over him, gently biting Gohan's neck. Gohan turned his head to the side to give him more access, it was as if he'd given in.

"I win," goaded Trunks, raising his head again.

"Mmm... " answered Gohan. "You win what, exactly?" he asked, a little confused over what that was all about, but still smiling back up at him, still hot and flustered.

"I don't know," he laughed, but he went back down and kissed his neck a little more before moving to his lips. As Gohan got lost in him again, he felt him push his legs apart to settle between them. Just as Trunks began grinding against him again, the penny finally dropped; they were fighting for dominance, and Gohan huffed to himself when he realised that he'd lost. But the more he felt Trunks harden against him, the less he minded. He found it soothing in his current delirium, but he could still smell blood.

Gohan's vision started clouding as he felt himself getting even hotter, his head felt as if there was cotton wool stuffed in it, stopping him from hearing much. He was left completely alone when Trunks disappeared from sight, feeling his lips trail themselves down his naked torso. He could vaguely feel his pants being taken off, feeling cold air brush against his lower body. Despite not being able to see or hear very well as the heat overtook his senses, he could hear himself suddenly moan out loud as something warm and wet engulfed him between his legs. Wet fingers soon followed, entering him slowly.

Gohan threw his head back even further, arching his spine. He could still only hear himself, trapped in his bubble. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion; his body felt like it was on fire. His hands finally moved from where Trunks originally pinned him down as if he felt he had permission to do so. One hand gripped on to the sheets while the other took a handful of lavender hair, with felt cool and soft against his burning skin.

"Oh God... " Gohan didn't mean to say that out loud, but with his senses going into overdrive, he could feel every tiny sensation.

He was left alone again with his cotton wool brains, unable to see or hear anything that was going on around him. All he could seem to focus on was the ceiling, a tactic he'd always used when he was in distress - but this time, he felt safe and secure. He assumed that Trunks was taking the rest of his clothes off, which possessed him to take back some control and see for himself.

Trunks was indeed finishing removing his clothes. Gohan took his hand, Trunks letting him push him into a sitting position against the wall as he climbed on top of him. His stomach was beginning to hurt... everything was beginning to hurt. Gohan reach behind to grab hold of him, positioning himself quickly and lowering himself down.

Despite the world being clouded around him, he could focus on Trunks pretty well, hearing his voice quite clearly as he carefully lowered himself further, not that it hurt him when he was in this state. He could hear him breathing as if he'd found some form of contentment, feeling him drag his knuckles up and down his sides. Gohan felt like he had a raging fever, he felt very hot, yet there were goosebumps on his skin caused by the sensations coming from what they were doing.

Gohan sat on him completely, feeling like he'd at least some form of domination back; he didn't move, simply placing his hands on his shoulders and staring down at his face that was now almost as red as his was. _Now for the real fun..._ Gohan began rocking his hips back and forth slowly, all he could hear were the sounds coming from Trunks, keeping himself as quiet as possible so he could take them in. He coiled his tail around his thigh, keeping him as still as he could.

It wasn't long before he was lifting himself off him entirely and slamming back down again, picking up speed as he got addicted to those sounds. Gohan leaned closer to him, curving his back inwards to make himself taller. Trunks closed the gap between them, burying his face into his chest. Gohan was letting all of his control go to his head, letting his voice out after to suppressing it down for so long. It seemed to push Trunks even further towards the edge as his hands moved from his hips to his backside, grabbing it and moving him faster.

Gohan slowed his movements down after a few minutes, not wanting to finish yet. He felt the need to push himself, since the pain in his stomach had died down to a warm flutter. He combed his fingers through Trunks' hair, whose head was still hidden against his chest. Trunks' hands moved steadily up to his back, dragging his nails down him in a similar fashion to what Gohan did to him earlier. Gohan's breath caught in his throat when Trunks lightly bit down on his right nipple. Trunks brought one of his hands around to the front, trailing his fingers down his stomach, past his newest scar before drawing them softly up his length; all rational thought in Gohan's head vaporized completely.

Trunks felt the control return to him as Gohan arched his back. He put his hand around it entirely, causing his stomach muscles to tense and recoil, making him fall further forwards. He smiled at Gohan's attempts to speak to him as he moved his hand again, making him stammer out what sounded like his name. Trunks let go of him, grabbing his hips and twisting them to the right until Gohan fell off him back onto the bed. He crawled on top of him and kissed him hungrily, Gohan raising his knees more as Trunks rested between them.

Trunks trailed his lips up and down his neck, a new scent began to burn in his lungs. It was the same coppery smell that Gohan had been receiving from him. It made him suddenly dive back into him, getting more of those beautiful sounds from him, as well as more failing attempts at his name, and some swearing.

The only thing that Gohan could focus on were his eyes, which were staring back down into his intently. That scent was getting stronger, causing him to yank Trunks down to rest on him, feeling him go even deeper into him. He started speeding up even more, hitting him harder. Gohan's right hand was gripping onto his hair brutally. He heard another moan come from him which vibrated into his skin as Trunks had his face buried into the crook of his neck.

The warmth in his stomach reached that crucial stage again, pushing him over the edge and filling his body with ecstasy. That scent suddenly exploded in his lungs as he finally climaxed; he didn't know what made him do it, but something clicked in the depths of his brain, making him lunge forwards and sink his teeth into where his neck met his shoulders. Trunks felt Gohan clench around him tightly, causing him to do the same, tearing into his neck with his teeth as he emptied himself inside him. Neither of them realised what they were doing, but as Gohan felt hot, coppery blood enter his mouth, it made him feel complete for a few seconds.

They finally released each other, Trunks peeling himself off him and collapsing beside him to his right, lying on his side. Gohan's regular senses returned to him gradually, realising who he was again and where he was. They were both silent for a few minutes, catching their breath.

"Wow... " gasped Gohan, feeling his body shake violently after what just occurred.

"Uh huh... " panted Trunks, who had his eyes shut as he calmed himself down again. "That was... what happened?"

Gohan laughed to himself, feeling incredibly giddy as he came back down to earth again. He turned his head to the left to look at Trunks, who stared back at him, heavy-eyed. Gohan's expression went from happy to apologetic when he saw something red on Trunks' neck. Then he remembered that he'd just bitten him... a lot harder than he'd ever done in the past; there was a thin line of blood coming from it which stopped at his clavicle.

"Shit... sorry," he whispered softly, propping himself up on his elbow and reaching over to look at the damage. There was a clear indentation of his teeth in his skin, five of his top teeth had cut through his skin, causing it to bleed.

"Me too... "

Trunks went to touch a similar mark that he'd made on Gohan's right shoulder. Gohan couldn't see it, but noticed splatters of blood on the white sheets from where he'd been lying down. And that was the first time he'd noticed that some of his blood was smeared in the corner of Trunks' top lip.

"What the hell... when did we start _eating_ each other?" asked Gohan lightly, though he was exaggerating, he still felt bad, as if he'd hurt him. But strangely, the bite mark given to him didn't hurt at all at the time, it just added to his pleasure. Even now, it didn't really hurt; the only thing he could feel from it was drying blood and his skin pulsating around it from the sheer force used to do it.

"I don't know I just... needed to... " said Trunks, who had since been caressing Gohan's arm. "I could smell - "

"Blood?" asked Gohan. "I've been able to smell yours for a while... I didn't really know how to tell you. It's not really a well known conversation topic."

"Something's telling me that this isn't a bad thing."

"I know what you mean..." he said, smiling at him. He held his arm out, pulling Trunks to curl up against him. Trunks slid his arm around his waist and rested his head against crook of his neck, feeling sleepier by the second. He let out a huge content sigh as Gohan held him his arms. Gohan felt just as relaxed, but it could have been better as he felt a searing pain coming from his entrance. He ended up turning onto his side to face Trunks. "I fucking hurt right now... "

"You should have fought harder," said Trunks, giving him a teasing smirk. "You practically let me take you without a real fight."

"You're going to pay for that... " said Gohan, really wanting to get him back for it, only he'd temporarily lost the use of his legs. "At some point."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"And I'm also going to make you regret saying that."

Gohan didn't managed to stifle that giggle, which turned out to be infectious as they both lay there laughing.

* * *

He prepared himself to go out again for the final time, but before he did, he leaned over the rail of the bed where Cell was still comatose.

"Just one left to find, and I know where it is," said Doctor Gero. "And when I return, I don't expect to find you in this bed any longer."

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	18. A Bad Feeling

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 18: A BAD FEELING**

Gohan looked both ways down the hallway before he left Trunks' room at about 11am the next day. He did get some much needed sleep after his heat finally passed, clocking in about 10 hours. It was the best he'd slept in years. He was promptly yanked back into the room by his arm with a yelp. The door was shut again and Gohan was pressed against it, giggling into another kiss.

"You'll have to let me go at some point," laughed Gohan. "I'm starving."

"I know," said Trunks, rolling his eyes and kissing him again. "But you can't go yet."

"Who made you the boss of me?"

"I think I did when I beat you last night," he teased. Gohan couldn't help but smile at the memory of it, surrendering himself over after their innate struggle. _One of these days..._ He found himself longing to feel what it was like on the other side, never having the chance in the past. He was also loving this new side of Trunks that only he ever got to see. Trunks was always humble and polite with everyone he knew, but when they were alone he was just as flirtatious and dirty minded as Gohan was, maybe even more so due to the fact that Trunks was nine years older than him.

"You can't be the boss of me forever... "

"I can... until you win," said Trunks. Gohan bit his own lip, looking him up and down before heading for the door again.

Gohan checked if the coast was clear again before stepping out of the room. He was fully dressed, but still needed to shower. The bite mark he'd received still wasn't bothering him, but he covered it up, letting his long dark hair hang over it. Luckily, when he styled his hair, he usually did where it to one side, mostly to his right, making it convenient.

He got to the corridor where his room was eventually, only to be stopped in his tracks when his mother walked out of her room.

"Hey, Gohan. You're looking much better," she said, looking up at him.

"Um, yeah, I feel a lot better than last night," he said nervously. Being a bad liar, he surprised that Chi Chi didn't pick up on his shifty temperament.

"You look great, even."

Chi Chi had noticed a significant change in him. He looked a lot brighter than he'd looked in months, the dark circles that had a prominent place around his eyes had disappeared.

"Uh... thanks," said Gohan. "I'm just going to take a shower. Did Nita sleep okay?"

"She was fine, no trouble at all. I think she misses you though."

"I miss her too," he replied with a smile. "I won't be too long."

* * *

After Gohan locked himself in the bathroom, he finally let out that off putting giggle that he'd been suppressing for the past few hours, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of Trunks. He took a look at his bite mark for the first time in the mirror, moving his hair out of the way to take a look. Trunks did break the skin, in a similar way that he did to him, only a few of his teeth actually cut through, and by the looks of things, it was healing quite quickly.

Oddly enough, when he actually touched it, it didn't hurt. And for the first time in years, he looked at his own reflection with more confidence than before, no longer despising what he saw; he still felt that he had ways to go yet, but he was on the right track. Finally. And also feeling something that he hadn't felt in a long time without hesitancy.

Gohan was happy. He felt happy, like he had everything that he ever needed. But he felt that he owed the majority of it to his daughter.

* * *

Gohan took Nita into the living room, feeling like he owed her many hours worth of contact after last night. Putting the basket down on the sofa, he sat down next to it, leaning over and taking a good look at her. Having a whole night away from her prompted him to notice a few things. Even though she was just two weeks old, she was starting to develop some facial characteristics, no longer just looking like any other newborn baby.

Nita's skin was a milky white colour, the same as Gohan's as he compared the two of them by letting her grab on to his finger. Her black hair was getting thicker, but he smiled even more when he realised just how much more alert she was. She looked up at him; she had beautiful dark brown eyes that mirrored his own, she was even beginning to grow long, dark eyelashes like his as well. But then he noticed other features that were beginning to appear.

"Hey, Gohan!"

Gohan jumped a little when he heard Krillin's voice.

"Oh, hey," he said absently.

"You look a lot better than you did last night."

"Yeah, it was just a fever. Just needed to sleep it off."

"Are you okay?" asked Krillin, noticing how distant Gohan seemed. He saw down on the sofa on the opposite side of Nita looking down at her.

"I never really noticed until I didn't see her for a while," said Gohan.

"Noticed what?"

"I can see him." Gohan didn't look sad, in fact he looked rather indifferent about it.

"What do you mean you can see him?"

"In Nita."

"What, where?" To Krillin, she looked just like any other baby.

"She's got his hands," said Gohan, holding the one wrapped around his finger up a little more. "And his face."

"Really?"

"Their eyes are the same kind of shape. Same nose and mouth too."

Krillin didn't know what to say back, not being able to read Gohan's expression very well.

"It doesn't mean anything," he added, finally looking at Krillin. "It doesn't mean that I love her any less. I just... I've only just noticed."

"If it's any consolation, she's way prettier than him," said Krillin lightly. Gohan laughed.

"She's got my jaw line though... or she will once she gets older."

"And she _definitely_ has your ears."

A laugh spurted out of Gohan, as well as Krillin; Nita looked up at them both as if she'd seen something weird.

"It doesn't matter what she looks like in the end. I still love her," he said, leaning over and picking her up. He brought her to rest upright on his chest. "You hear that? I love you. And you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He kissed her on the top of her head, holding her close.

* * *

"Don't talk crap, Namek!" yelled Vegeta, caught up in yet another argument with Piccolo.

"You two really need to relax," groaned Bulma. "I thought a bit of peace would actually do you both some good, but obviously it's just making you both crazy."

"I am _far_ from crazy, woman!"

Piccolo officially gave up, sighing and folding his arms.

"What's with all the yelling?" asked Trunks, walking into the room to confront the three of them over what trivial thing they were arguing over now. Vegeta was getting increasingly restless, he was never one to relax. And as a result, he seemed to be picking fights with just about everybody over the tiniest things.

"I was just reminding this green imbecile that I - "

Vegeta seemed to stop dead when he finally looked at Trunks.

"What?" said Trunks, unnerved by the way his father was staring at him.

"Imbecile, am I?" scoffed Piccolo, who was taken aback when Vegeta completely ignored him and went straight for his son.

"With me! _Now._ " he seethed, roughly dragging Trunks out of the room by his arm.

"What the hell is wrong with him now?" said Piccolo.

"Your guess is as good as mine. When it comes to Vegeta I've learned not to ask anymore," sighed Bulma.

* * *

"Hey, what's the problem?" asked Trunks, snatching his arm back as Vegeta shut them both in the kitchen.

"Where were you last night?"

"In my room," he answered, shrugging his shoulders with a disgruntled look on his face.

"Doing what?" pressed Vegeta sternly. He could sense something coming off him in waves.

"Sleeping," said Trunks flatly. "You know, that thing that you're meant to do at night?"

"Don't get cocky with me, boy!"

"I'm not the one being cocky," he complained, no longer scrambling for his father's approval like he used to. He knew that he already had it years ago. Standing up to him was a lot easier than it used to be. "Are we done here?"

Trunks went to brush past him to leave, only to be pushed back again.

"No, we are not done here. I'm sensing a significant change in you, and I'm starting to get an idea of what it is."

"What are you talking about - "

Trunks voice caught in his throat when Vegeta suddenly yanked his jacket away from his neck, revealing the mark that Gohan had given him just hours ago. Trunks shrugged his hand away.

"What's your problem?!"

"Let me rephrase the original question for you," said Vegeta. "Who were you _fucking_ last night?"

"What?!"

"Oh don't tell me... it was Kakarot's brat wasn't it?" Trunks just sighed, avoiding eye contact with him. "You mated with a third class half breed! You're a disgrace!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"That mark on your neck! That isn't just any old bite, it's what saiyans do when they mate with someone. And I'm assuming that he's walking around with a similar mark from you, am I right?""

"Well that explains a few things," sighed Trunks. He'd been wondering where the sudden urge came from at the time.

"I'm guessing that Gohan had gone into heat again thanks to him still having his tail, it's only natural for you to sense and respond to it," said Vegeta, calming down a little. Trunks paused for a second, thinking carefully about asking a few questions that had been swimming around his head lately.

"Last night... that wasn't the first time," he admitted carefully.

"How long has this been going on? When did it all start?"

"Gohan kind of went into heat while we were being held prisoner. On that same night, Frieza's soldiers thought they were being smart by locking us both in the same cell for a whole day. It just happened out of nowhere."

"Well, like I said, you can't help but respond. It's a biological reaction."

"It's happened a couple of times since, and lately it's become a lot more than just sex."

"You're a couple?" exclaimed Vegeta, surprised that he hadn't noticed a thing until now. "Who else knows about this?!"

"Just you." Trunks avoided eye contact with him again, looking at the floor in embarrassment before Vegeta asked him something that he wasn't expecting.

"Are you happy with him?"

"Yeah," he said instantly, the corner of his mouth flicking up into a small smile when he looked at his father again.

"Well, I suppose that Gohan isn't just _any_ third class half breed - "

"This mean you approve, then?"

"I'm willing to put up with it as long as I don't have to see it," he sneered. "Public displays of affection were always vulgar and unnecessary to me."

 _Well that also explains a lot._ Trunks was actually relieved that he'd finally told someone, more relieved that Vegeta was starting to come round to the idea. But he still had more questions.

"Why didn't I bite him the first time?" he asked, still confused.

"Because he was pregnant at the time. You couldn't mate with him if he was already claimed by somebody else. Now that the child is out of him, you were free to do so."

"Then why was he still going in heat while he was pregnant? It doesn't make any sense."

"Even though he was pregnant, he was unmarked."

"What do you mean?"

"Cell never marked him like you did. They were never mates, which I suppose is something we can be grateful for. Nita happened during Gohan's first heat, but apparently, it seems that Cell had a more subtle reaction to it that you did since the saiyan blood he has is minimal compared to yours. So I'm guessing that Gohan went to him to make the pain of the heat stop, and Cell obviously complied for more manipulative reasons than biological ones. Or else he would have marked him there and then himself."

"Oh... " sighed Trunks, raising his eyebrows.

"Gohan won't go into heat again. Now that he's been marked."

"Good, as much as I couldn't help it, it wasn't great feeling that out of control."

"Hmph, petty human emotions. If you were a pure saiyan you wouldn't have held back!" said Vegeta, turning around to leave. "And by the way, between you and me, did you win?"

"Win what?"

"You fought beforehand, didn't you?"

"More of a scrap than a fight," mumbled Trunks.

"But you won, right?"

"... Yeah," he answered, feeling uneasy about it, but then Vegeta smirked.

"Good, you're not as much of a disgrace as I thought."

"How did you know?" asked Trunks, stopping Vegeta again. "How did you know that I've been... "

"You're my offspring. I could smell it a mile off. Kakarot will probably have the same reaction to Gohan when he sees him. Though I doubt that clown will know the first thing about what he senses. And by the way, you need to be very careful when it comes to Gohan. After everything that's happened to him, sometimes he isn't all there."

* * *

Gohan took Nita back to his parents' room to collect her things again, but ended up staying for a while, Goku spending time with Nita while Gohan played with Haru. Goku had been feeling a certain vibe from him in all the time that they'd been there. It took him a good half hour to finally say something.

"Gohan, can I talk to you about something?"

"What is it?" he asked. Goku didn't know how to ask him without sounding awkward. He knew nothing of his own saiyan intuition, but it took him a while to put what he was sensing into words.

"Are you... seeing someone?" asked Goku, glossing over what he was initially going to ask him.

"What?" Gohan's shock face wasn't all that convincing.

"I can't really explain it, but something's different about you today. I can sense it," said Goku, holding his breath as he finally asked what he was originally thinking. "Last night, um... did you... uh, have sex?"

Gohan was mentally laughing at Goku's attempts to even mention sex to him at all, even though that his father knew all to well that he started having sex well over a year ago. He'd left it way too long to deny it; he didn't say anything back, but he nodded instead.

"So you're seeing someone?" Goku was relieved to finally get that one out in the open. Gohan just sighed, knowing that he'd been busted anyway.

"Yes, I'm seeing someone. But you can't tell anybody. Not even mom. Not yet, anyway."

"Early days?"

"Sort of, we're just laying low for a while," said Gohan, helping Haru build something out of some blocks which were gradually being chewed and drooled on in the process.

"Do I know them?"

"Um... yeah," he said with some hesitancy.

"It's not Jeice is it? I know he likes hugging you an awful lot," joked Goku.

"No, it's not Jeice," laughed Gohan. "He doesn't even know about it either."

"Must be laying pretty low if nobody's noticed."

"Yeah, we have."

"Well, who is it then? I promise I won't tell."

"It's funny how you can have someone in your life for years and then one day you suddenly just see them differently."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," said Goku, reminiscing about how he proposed to Chi Chi.

"I don't know, I guess I've always had a thing for lavender hair."

"Wait, Trunks?!"

Gohan smiled back at him, no longer containing how happy he felt about it.

"How did I not see that?" sighed Goku.

"Because we're _that_ good at laying low," laughed Gohan.

"So you're dating right?"

"I guess... we've never actually been on a date. Not had the chance to."

"I'll tell you what, me and your mom will take care of Nita for a few hours, while you two get out of here for a while."

"What, tonight?"

"Yeah, now's as good a time as any. And I think you deserve a little happiness after everything you've been through."

"But I've hardly seen her all day!" said Gohan, referring to Nita.

"She'll still be here when you get back. I promise!"

* * *

Gohan and Trunks both took Goku's advice, sneaking out of Capsule Corp and finding themselves on the outskirts of town in the middle of a field, of all places. Trunks had since filled him in on what Vegeta told him, making Gohan feel a lot more at ease, especially since he didn't have to experience going into heat ever again.

"I never got to do this much, we were always shut away since there was so much dust in the air," said Trunks. They lay next to each other on the cool grass, staring up at the night sky. It was nice to be somewhere quiet, but even nicer that they had some privacy for a while.

"I can't really remember which one is which. I used to study it a lot when I was little," said Gohan. "Where we lived was so remote that it was always like this. We did this every night after we got back from Namek. I liked naming all the stars, but back then I was looking for my dad. Waiting for him to come back."

"I always wondered what it'd be like living out in the open."

"It's nice. It's quiet and peaceful. Away from everything."

Trunks looked to his right to see Gohan still gazing at the clear sky, watching his chest rise and fall calmly. Gohan soon felt Trunks' eyes on him, rolling over onto his side to curl up to him. They soon melded together into a kiss, before Trunks went back to staring at the stars. Gohan rested his head on his shoulder, looking at Trunks' now healing bite mark, feeling a great sense of satisfaction that he was the one that gave it to him, now that he knew what it meant.

He found himself leaning into the crook of his neck, planting a soft kiss into his mark. Gohan felt Trunks twitch underneath him, prompting him to keep doing it, making his kisses last longer.

"That feels nice," sighed Trunks, closing eyes. Gohan could feel his heart beating faster under his hand, which was resting on his chest. He pressed his lips down on the mark harder, earning a soft moan. Trunks felt a wave wash over him, turning his limbs to jelly. Gohan shifted on top of him a little more, licking his mark. Trunks began moving around under him, biting his own lip. Gohan took a risk, taking Trunks' left hand in his and holding it down above his head as he moved on top of him completely, biting down on the mark lightly.

Trunks let out a foreign sound, arching himself up as another wave washed over him. Gohan did it again a little harder, distracting him long enough to pin his other hand down. He could feel Trunks shaking under him.

"What the hell was... " he panted, feeling an intense pleasure radiating from his mark. Gohan just smiled down at him, brushing their lips together when he realised something.

"I win," he whispered. Trunks open his eyes, Gohan was looking at him as if he was going to eat him alive. Not that he minded.

"Looks that way... "

* * *

"We're in a field... "

"Yes... yes we are," said Gohan as he fixed his clothes. Trunks did the same, clicking his belt back together and settled down; they lay side by side as they did before, only this time they had Trunks' jacket under their heads.

"We had sex in a field... "

"Yes we did." They began laughing as they began observing the stars again. "You okay?"

"I hurt," said Trunks flatly.

"Sorry... " said Gohan sarcastically. "Virgin."

Trunks leaned over and playfully punched him in the arm as they continued their relentless giggling. He sighed and fell on his back again.

"We're in a fucking _field._ "

"Yeah, where you put out on the first date. Didn't think you were the type -"

Gohan was soon shut up when Trunks' hands darted over to his sides and tickled him mercilessly. Just as Gohan was begging him to stop, he was pulled onto his side into a passionate kiss. They looked at each other before cracking up again, not even remembering what they were laughing at in the first place. Gohan curled up against him, both of them closing their eyes for a few minutes.

However, when Gohan opened his eyes again, he could no longer see stars.

"Trunks?"

"Hm?" he mumbled, finding himself nodding off.

"Where did the stars go?"

"What do you mean?"

When Trunks opened his eyes, they both stared up at the sky, which was now blacker than it was before, demonic clouds and lightning appearing and crackling around them.

"You think Hell's opening again?"

"I don't know, but we should get back and warn the others."

As they stood up to leave, Gohan began feeling a sense of dread appear at the bottom of his stomach; something bad was about to happen. He didn't know what, but was bracing himself for it - and whatever it was, he was going to protect Nita with his life.

* * *

"Hm, it doesn't feel like Hell is opening again," said Vegeta.

"It just felt wrong, whatever it was. But it seemed to stop as soon as we got back," said Gohan.

He and Trunks managed to at least see Goku and Vegeta before anyone else, since it was the middle of the night. Everyone was asleep.

"Well if it's stopped for the time being, then we can all get together in the morning to discuss it," said Goku. "I don't sense anything suspicious."

"Whatever, I'm getting some sleep," said Vegeta as he walked off. "Besides, Cooler is out there investigating this so called power source. He would have said something if it was happening again."

"Is Nita okay? asked Gohan, Vegeta leaving them with Goku. "I feel kind of bad for leaving her for so long these past couple of days."

"Hey don't worry about it, your mom's been having the time of her life fussing over her."

"Well, I'll take her anyway. I'm feeling a lot better."

"If you're sure you're up to it," said Goku. "I think she'll probably want to sleep soon."

* * *

Gohan picked Nita up along with her things from Goku and Chi Chi's room, still feeling that dread in his gut.

"You okay?" asked Trunks, who was waiting outside.

"Not really," he said honestly. "I keep feeling like something bad's about to happen."

"Bad how?"

"I don't know. It's just a feeling. I feel anxious."

"Well, why don't you and Nita stay with me for the night?"

Gohan smiled and nodded instantly. It was if Trunks knew him inside out; he knew that Gohan didn't do well by himself when he was feeling agitated. They went to Trunks' room which was around the corner, Gohan putting Nita's basket down beside the bed so that he could keep an eye on her.

"Okay, I need a quick shower," said Gohan. Trunks read his mind when he took Nita from him. "Thanks. I'll be five minutes." Gohan gave him a kiss, then kissed Nita on the head before running out of the room.

* * *

"What does he mean the sky went weird?" quizzed Piccolo, also feeling skeptical about the idea of Hell reopening. All seemed quite calm from what he could feel.

"He just said that one second he was looking at the stars, then the next they'd disappeared under thick storm clouds. There was lightning coming from them. I was sure I could see it too out of the window, but I just assumed that it was a thunderstorm."

"How do you know that it wasn't just a thunderstorm?"

"It's dry outside... and there's no sign of a single cloud in the sky since it happened."

"If Hell was reopening we would have seen something by now. Last time it just happened, it didn't fluctuate."

"Gohan also mentioned that it went even darker."

"Wait... " Something in Piccolo clicked. "Gohan said that it lasted, what, ten minutes at best? And that it looked like a storm coming out of nothing?"

"Yeah," said Goku. "Why, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that the dragon was summoned. That's what was causing the disturbances."

"What?!"

It seemed obvious and added up. But who summoned the dragon, and why?

* * *

Gohan emerged from the bathroom feeling more fresh than ever. His wild black hair was tied over to the right as it usually was, also conveniently covering his mark. He was wearing pajama pants with a black baggy vest, feeling relieved to be wearing something clean and comfortable. Forgetting that he'd left Nita's spare clothes in his room, he went back to get them before he could finally lie down with his boyfriend and his baby and relax.

The thought of that sounded so appealing that he found himself jogging to his room. He opened the door and threw his dirty clothes on the floor opposite his bed before going for the glass of water; maybe rushing about when he was so tired wasn't such a good idea. He began gulping it down in the darkness of his room when he heard the door close behind him.

"You look exactly the same."

Gohan's heart sank to his toes; he jumped, dropping the glass onto the floor as he turned around. _You..._

"Yet so different..."

 **I'm aware how totally evil I am with cliffhangers...**

 **Please Reviewww!**


	19. Toys

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 19: TOYS**

"Well, maybe a little taller."

Gohan stayed exactly where he was, not caring that his bare feet were soaking with the water he dropped. Luckily, the glass didn't break when it hit the carpet. _Am I dreaming?_ It was all he ever wanted while he was being held captive by Frieza, but lately he'd got so good at moving on with his life; and now the guilt of his moving on was starting to set in, it was as if those past few months hadn't happened. But out of all of the things that were swimming around the forefront of his brain, only one thought stood out more than most.

Nita _did_ have his face.

"Not very chatty today, are we?" said Cell, leaning against the door with his arms folded over his chest. Gohan remained frozen; Cell looked exactly the same as he remembered, but actually appeared rather well, though he still retained his withered appearance.

"S-sorry, I wasn't expecting... " stuttered Gohan, the shock was only just starting to wear off.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Cell was smirking at him, that same arrogant smirk that made Gohan scared and nervous, but at other times managed to seduce him. "I don't see how this is such a shock to you, surely it's only been a few days at most."

 _A few days?! He has no idea..._ Gohan's eyes widened at the fact that Cell was completely oblivious to everything that had gone on, more specifically, how long he'd been out of action.

"What's the last thing you remember?" asked Gohan carefully, finally able to say something after having the wind knocked out of him, figuratively speaking.

"Being on Frieza's ship about to get away," he answered, pushing himself off the wall and walking around the room. "The next thing I know, I wake up alone in a sub lab. And the I find that we've relocated to the Capsule Corporation. And it seems that Frieza is quiet for the time being, I can't sense him."

"You really have no idea, do you?"

Cell had clearly come straight to Gohan after he woke up, having thought that was merely knocked out for a couple of days.

"No idea about what?"

"You've been in a coma for four months," said Gohan. Cell stopped, glaring at Gohan.

"You have got to be joking, what day is it?"

"January 1st. Just about," he replied, only just realising that it was 1am. _Happy fucking new year, Gohan..._

"Really?" he said, looking quite shocked. Well, in his own way. "I could have sworn that it was early September at the latest."

"You've been gone a long time," said Gohan, still not really managing to look him in the eye. "A lot's happened."

"Has it? Such as?"

Gohan proceeded to tell him about how they managed to close Hell a couple of weeks ago, but also how that it wasn't a permanent fixture since reality was being controlled by something far beyond the dragon's power.

"So you managed to gather the dragon balls in the end, then."

"I don't know if you remember it, but back on Frieza's ship, you reached out to me so that we could teleport away with my dad."

"I do remember vaguely, but nothing after that."

"Frieza pushed me out of the way before I could get away with you, but he managed to send a death beam with you instead. He shot you in the head. And that's how you ended up in a coma."

"And Frieza held you prisoner, did he?"

"Yeah... " said Gohan, finally looking over to him. "And before you say anything, he didn't do anything to me."

"How odd, he always seemed so insistent on it."

"My saiyan half decided to make an appearance later on and I managed to get out with the last dragon ball. Don't ask me how, because I don't remember."

"Your evil twin always did have a few tricks up his sleeve," said Cell smoothly.

Gohan felt weird; him and Cell were talking again as if they hadn't been apart for so long. As if nothing had happened. Well, everything was the same as far as Cell was concerned, but so much had changed in Gohan's life recently - however, just seeing Cell again brought him all the way back to square one again.

"Doctor Gero said that you'd never recover... I don't understand."

"He wasn't there when I woke up. I still have no idea where he is."

"Shouldn't you go and find him then?"

That was a far from subtle attempt to make Cell leave, which the android caught on to immediately.

"Why so keen to get rid of me?" Gohan remained silent, staring at the floor, then the door, and everywhere else except for Cell.

"I don't have any answers about your recovery," said Gohan eventually, wanting to just bolt for the door.

"I'm aware that this must be quite overwhelming for you," said Cell, looking rather smug about the fact. "Especially for somebody as emotionally unstable as you are."

Cell was approaching him; Gohan remained where he was, still too stunned by the situation to move. The next thing he knew, Cell's fingers were caressing the left side of his face. He flinched, recoiling away from his hand. Cell noticed something different about him merely by reading his body language; usually, Gohan was always rather open with him, but now, he was closed off and defensive, much like he used to be when their relationship first started.

"I take it that after all this time, that you're still angry with me."

"What about?"

"After getting rid of that thing for you," said Cell, pointing at Gohan's stomach. "It really was becoming a nuisance though, wasn't it?"

 _He still thinks that he killed her..._ Gohan's eyes widened, Cell really had no idea just how much things had changed; at first, he wondered why he never asked about what became of the 'nuisance' growing inside him. He considered letting him continue thinking that it was dead, but figured that he would have found out eventually. That, and he was livid about his daughter being called a 'thing'.

"She's not a nuisance," he said quietly, through his teeth. "And she's not dead either."

"What?" Cell was listening carefully.

"You didn't kill her, you just knocked her out for a while," said Gohan, noticing that Cell was staying quiet and still, obviously curious to know what had happened. "She was born on the 17th December, at about 10.30 at night. Bulma had to cut her out of me. She's tiny and she's beautiful. And she's waiting for me, so if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to her."

Cell didn't say anything, he couldn't. He didn't know how to react to the fact that he had a child... a daughter in fact. He supposed the only thing that he was really feeling above anything else was shock.

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Cell. He knew that Gohan wasn't stupid enough to believe that they could ever play happy families.

"Because I think that you should know that you have a daughter. What you do with that information is up to you."

"And if I _don't_ like it?" said Cell dangerously, giving Gohan a calculating look which he knew all too well.

"Then stay away from her."

"How do you intend to protect the child when you can't even protect yourself?"

"You haven't the first clue what a saiyan is capable of when you threaten their children, Cell. So don't - or you won't live long enough to find out."

This was the first time that Cell had ever took any of Gohan's threats to kill him seriously. He actually felt nervous by the fierce look in Gohan's eyes; a primal instinct to protect his young, whatever it took. And there was no telling what Gohan would do now that he had something that he would always put before himself at all costs.

As Gohan picked out some of Nita's clothes and left the room without another word, Cell could automatically feel his control over Gohan wavering - Gohan now had an unconditional love for somebody else. And that was something he was hoping that he could prevent from happening. But he held on to the fact that the child was also his, and therefore he would forever be a part of Gohan's life, whether the boy liked it or not.

* * *

Gohan kept up his aggressive demeanor until he got around the corner, a safe distance away, and when he was sure he wasn't followed, he finally let his true feelings show.

He slowly exhaled all the air that he'd been keeping in all the way through that conversation. He was shaking, but he wasn't sure how he was feeling; fear, anger, confusion and guilt... and sadness, the very emotions that were always a prominent part of his life when Cell was around. It was so long since he felt them all at once that he didn't really know what to do with them.

He put all those breathing techniques back into practice, standing still against the wall, closing his eyes, then breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. It seemed to work for the time being, holding onto Nita's clothes also anchored him somehow. After a few minutes, he began making his way back to Trunks, remembering that he was only meant to have been gone for five minutes.

When Gohan opened the door, he felt about ready to burst out all of his feelings, but he felt settled again; while they'd been waiting for him, both Trunks and Nita had fallen asleep. Gohan smiled, some of the anguish was washing way at the sight of them both. He put Nita's clothes on top of the chest of drawers, kneeling down to the basket and kissing Nita on the forehead. She didn't stir, though her tail moved, he sat there and watched her little chest rise and fall for a few minutes.

He stood up and lay down next to Trunks; he was on his side, one hand under the pillow supporting his head like it always did when he slept. Gohan wanted more than anything to wake him up and tell him about what he just saw, but couldn't bring himself to. Instead he just smiled before turning over and huddling backwards against him. It prompted Trunks put put his free arm around him in his sleep and hold him close.

Gohan sighed and closed his eyes. He thought that he'd might as well enjoy one last peaceful night until everything kicked off once again.

* * *

"You took your time."

Doctor Gero spun around after he closed the lab door to see Cell standing in the corner.

"At last, it's good to finally see you fully functioning again," he said gleefully. "The dragon was true to his word."

"The dragon?"

"Yes, I wished you back not two hours ago."

"Wished me back? So I'm no longer dead."

"No, you're alive again. Which means that you're fully restored. No more brain damage."

Doctor Gero was very pleased that his plan worked, even though it was at the cost of the last wish they were going to have for at least a whole year now.

"I've been informed that I was in a coma for four months."

"Yes, you were. I was beginning to lose hope until I realised that the dragon had yet to grant one last wish. So I've been gathering the dragon balls in the past few weeks."

"And nobody noticed?" asked Cell, dumbfounded at how oblivious and ignorant earth's special forces really were during times of peace.

"No, but since you are back then people will start adding things up. So I'm going to make myself scarce for a while."

"Not sticking around to confront those angry faces then?"

"You maybe powerful enough to handle them, but unfortunately, I'm not," said Doctor Gero, collecting some of his things. "If you wish to find me, then I'll be back at the Red Ribbon Army base. Otherwise, good luck with whatever you decide to do."

As Doctor Gero made his speedy escape, Cell was left wondering exactly that... what _was_ he supposed to do now? Continuing his torturous relationship with Gohan was definitely on the cards somewhere, but he knew that it would be difficult with his daughter in the picture as well... _their_ daughter.

He supposed that he could use her as a weapon to control Gohan, but the fact that the boy refused to let him touch him, coupled with the look on his face when he first saw him again only made him wonder if there was another factor in Gohan's life that was making him mentally stronger than he was before.

Cell then closed his eyes, telepathically poking around to try to access Gohan's mind, but he was shut out completely. Something was indeed going on. And whatever it was, he intended to stomp it out, and soon.

* * *

"I need to tell you something," said Gohan, who was comforting Nita by pacing up and down Trunks' room the next morning.

"Sounds serious... " said Trunks once he'd put his jacket on. Gohan opened his mouth but nothing came out, he just looked down at Nita, who had since stopped crying. "It's okay, you can tell me," he said, placing his hand reassuringly on Gohan's shoulder.

"Cell's awake."

"What?"

"That's why I was held up last night, he sneaked up on me out of nowhere."

"Did he hurt you?" he asked straight away, not having a shred of doubt that Cell would have laid a finger on him.

"No, we just talked a little. I was filling in the blanks for him, turns out he woke up thinking that it'd only been a few days."

"Does he know about Nita?"

Gohan nodded, gazing at his daughter again. Her little tear stained face was looking up at him.

"I don't know if the others know that he's around again or not, I guess we'd better tell them."

"Yeah," said Trunks. Gohan picked up on how nervous he was; Trunks seemed to be acting as if he was about to lose Gohan now that Cell was back in his life.

"Trunks... him being back doesn't change anything," he said as Trunks opened the door. "It's you that I want to be with."

"I know," replied Trunks, smiling back at him. "The hard part is making sure that Cell knows that too."

"I was kind of hoping that he wouldn't find out anytime soon, we haven't even told our moms. I don't know what he wants, he came to me thinking that he was only out for a couple of days so everything might still be the way it was before for him. I don't know what to do besides make sure that I'm not alone for a while. He won't try anything if I'm constantly with other people."

"You okay with me not leaving you alone?" asked Trunks.

"I'm sure I'll be able to put up with you... "

* * *

"You!"

Android 16 hurried down the corridor by the sub lab to find him leaning against the wall.

"Yes, me."

"How? You weren't recovering!"

"I can't believe that even you didn't notice that Doctor Gero had been gathering the dragon balls in secret," sneered Cell arrogantly. He pushed off the wall and walked past him, walking up the stairs only to bump into Piccolo, Goku and Vegeta. It seemed that Gohan wasn't huge on secrecy anymore either among other things; maybe he should have scared him more. "And now everyone's here to welcome me back, I see."

"So the dragon _was_ summoned last night," said Piccolo.

"Blame your own incompetence for that happening. And for once, it had nothing to do with me."

"Where are you going, android?" growled Vegeta.

"Outside. I feel like I need to after being stuck indoors for four months."

As Cell walked away, the fighters were thinking of Gohan and Nita, and what kind of danger they were now in. But Vegeta was also worried about his own son's involvement in all of this too.

* * *

It was night time again, Cell was growing restless, requiring something to hit more than he should have. He usually had much more control over himself, it was taking a lot of inner strength not to just find Gohan, make sure he was alone, and then punch his lights out for no real reason. The only thing holding him back was his realisation of how delicate their relationship was now. Any wrong move on Cell's part could drive him away forever, which wouldn't have been any fun. He needed a way to draw Gohan back in.

But still, he found himself walking towards his ki signature. Cell remained outside, as he had been for the past few hours enjoying the fresh air; he definitely felt it in his body that he hadn't experienced it in a long time. He stopped at a window, peering inside from a distance so that he'd remain unseen by those inside. But there Gohan was, pacing around one of the smaller living areas of the large building.

He was twirling something flat and round around his finger, it took him a few seconds to realise that it was a disc. Then Trunks came into view with a few plastic cases and placing them in front of the television. They seemed to be alone in the room, since it was quite late, approaching midnight. They were laughing about something.

Seeing Gohan look so happy made Cell want to throw up. Just how much had Gohan recovered while he'd been away?

Trunks and Gohan looked as if they were playfully arguing about something before the outcome was decided with a quick few rounds of rock paper scissors. The disc that Gohan had been twirling around his finger was slotted into the side of the television before they both sat down on the sofa.

"How trivial... " mumbled Cell to himself, watching them stare at the screen for the next ten minutes until something else started to happen; he was side on to them, so he could only see Trunks for the most part. He saw Gohan come into view with a devious looking smile on his face - a smile that Cell knew very well. He didn't know how he didn't burst in there and slaughter them both as they began kissing.

Instead, Cell found himself fixated on them, watching their every move as things started progressing quickly. Trunks pulled Gohan on top of him, their kisses becoming deeper and more intimate. Cell was seething inside as he followed Trunks' hands moving up Gohan's thighs which were at either side of him, stopping behind him and squeezing Gohan's buttocks through his pants.

Cell recalled that Gohan rather liked it whenever he did that to him, which only confirmed something else; if Trunks knew exactly where to place his hands, then this had been going on for a while. Gohan's hands moved down, and then he followed them, shuffling off Trunks and kneeling down in front of him until he was out of sight as the bottom of the window had cut him off. He soon caught on to what Gohan was doing when Trunks appeared to be enjoying himself.

Cell was wondering why he wasn't killing them both, instead he was infatuated with it, albeit angrily. He had so much to use against Gohan to drag him back down again. Things built up, he could just about make out Gohan's head as it was bobbing up and down quickly; He could see how close Trunks was, his head had since rolled back against the top of the sofa, but now his back was arching. Cell was beginning to hear him, thanks to his enhanced hearing abilities, even through the window.

Before he could finish, Gohan seemed to stop, but he still remained out of sight. Trunks was panting and looking down at him before joining him on the floor. Now that they were nowhere to be seen, Cell's eyes finally averted from the situation. He had no idea why he was watching it all, any normal person would have walked away by now, even confront them. But then again, he wasn't just anybody.

Now he was plotting... he wanted to destroy them both, that was certain. But he definitely wanted to do it slowly. He more or less knew how to worm his way back into Gohan's life again, especially since he could use this as one of his tactics and make him feel bad about it. But Trunks? This was new territory. But he knew enough about him to mess with his head as well; Cell smiled at the fact that even though Gohan had betrayed him, he now had two saiyans to destroy from the inside, and Trunks was like a brand new toy to him, which was a bonus. He began to wonder if the same mind games would work on him or not, but he knew about the one thing that had haunted Trunks' life since he was a child - androids.

Cell saw them reappear in the window again, Trunks sitting back down on the sofa, with Gohan climbing back on top of him. He noticed that Gohan's pants were missing, but couldn't see much below his hips. He knew enough about Gohan's usual movements to know that he was carefully lowering himself down onto Trunks. It wasn't long before Gohan was bouncing on top of him, slamming himself down on to him as if he was in a hurry. Or, Cell figured that that was what he was doing since they were having sex in a communal area. Gohan usually went for it like that if he was trying to make it quick.

The android's blood was boiling once more as Trunks' hands were wandering again, grabbing his buttocks again and helping him along, occasionally slapping one side. _You're not hitting him nearly as hard as you should be..._ Cell had the urge to show him how to do it properly; whenever he had Gohan, he always made sure that Gohan never got out of a fuck without at least a few bruises, no matter how quickly they went about it.

Gohan's hands were gripping to the back of the sofa as he gathered more speed, one of them let go and pulled Trunks' shirt up, Trunks' hand had since been around Gohan, pumping him quickly. They climaxed at the same time, slowing their movements down gradually. It only confirmed to Cell again that they knew each other very well intimately since they were able to time each other perfectly.

Cell decided that he'd seen enough, finally moving away from them; he couldn't stand to watch them both revel in their giddiness. It sickened him. Then again, Cell never _could_ stand it whenever anybody played with his toys.

Trunks and Gohan were going to be the death of one another, and Cell was going to make sure of it.

 **And let the revenge commence...**

 **Please Review!**


	20. Instinct

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 20: INSTINCT**

Two weeks passed, Nita was now a month old already.

Trunks was laying on his stomach in the living area. Nita was doing the same in front of him; he couldn't help but smile at her as she attempted to lift her head up again to look at him. This time she gave it a some more oomph, letting out a little squeak as she did it. He managed to get a glimpse of her large brown eyes before she flopped down onto the rug again.

"I wonder what the milestones are for saiyan babies," he said curiously, observing Nita's resilience as she tried again. "Should she even be this good at lifting her head yet?"

He didn't receive an answer, but then again, he didn't expect one. Gohan was sat on the floor against the sofa with his knees to his chest; he was also watching Nita, but he seemed to be staring right through her.

Trunks had noticed a change in Gohan in the past couple of weeks. Although he was undoubtedly a natural, brilliant parent to Nita, lately he was becoming a lot more distant. It seemed to start happening after Cell first made his reappearance, but nobody had seen him since then. Android 16 had informed them all that he'd gone off investigating the mysterious power source the day after he was wished back, not wanting to 'be stuck with a bunch of boring humans and taking part in their pathetic little lives', as he put it. Just as well, though; Gohan was insistent on Cell never meeting Nita after how he took the news of her existence.

"Gohan, I still think that you need to talk to somebody."

"There's nothing to say," he mumbled, still burning holes through the carpet with his eyes. "I'm fine, really."

"Cell isn't here, you don't have to - "

"It's not Cell that's making me feel this way," said Gohan, finally breaking his fortnight-long silence on what was eating away at him.

"Then what is it?" asked Trunks, sitting up against the sofa next to him, leaving Nita to what looked like numerous attempts at mini push-ups.

"I don't know... "

"Is there a reason to why you're so cut off from everything?"

Gohan buried his face in his arms and burst into tears for no reason at all. It was the truth, he didn't know why he felt so sad. Cell did have a small part in how he was feeling, but that was it... small. The rest were doubts that were building up in his head that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Why do you bother?" he asked tearfully.

"What do you mean?"

"With me... why are you still here? Any regular person would have just left me by now."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm dragging you down. And I'm dragging her down too."

"You're not dragging anyone down."

"I'm starting to feel it again... " said Gohan desperately, beginning to scratch at his wrist bands; it was an urge that he hadn't felt in months, but it had been returning to him in waves over the past few days. It was only getting worse. Trunks caught on immediately as he began fidgeting.

"Gohan, be honest with me," said Trunks firmly. Gohan reluctantly looked at him. "Have you hurt yourself?" Gohan shook his head.

"No," he answered quietly. After a short pause he held his breath and blurted out his current safe guarded secret. "I've got two razor blades in my pocket. I haven't used them."

"Do you want me to get rid of them for you?"

Gohan nodded, holding on to his own hands tight so that he wouldn't stop him. Trunks carefully put his hand into Gohan's jeans, taking out the razor blades. Gohan watched him swiftly disintegrate them with energy from his fingers.

"Now why couldn't _I_ just do that... " sighed Gohan, feeling relieved that they were gone, but disappointed in himself for not having the strength to get rid of them.

"You might have had them on you, but you didn't use them. That's what matters."

"Please tell me it gets easier."

"It does eventually," said Trunks reassuringly, referencing his own experiences with self harm from when he was fourteen. "Depression's a tough one to beat. Having a new constant in your life will help you. I promise."

"But I was so sure I had it under control!" Gohan looked down at Nita, who was still trying to move around. "I don't understand. It was all going so well, but lately, I feel less and less like I'm good enough for her. I can't explain it. Usually I can recognise when it hits me, but now, it's just different and I've no idea why!"

"Maybe it's postpartum depression," suggested Trunks. Gohan scrunched his face up at the idea. "It kind of makes sense, you said it's different to how you usually feel when you're down."

"I guess," said Gohan. "Either way, it's still cutting me down and making me completely useless to everyone around me."

"You're not useless," said Trunks. "Look at Nita. You're raising her, and she's happy. And that's because of you."

Gohan watched Nita clawing at the rug she was on as if she was trying to move. She was definitely stubborn, just like he was. Advancing beyond her age, just like he did. And also wearing a particularly determined scowl, much like he did when he was being single-minded about something. He reached over to pick her up and rest her on his chest. Her tail coiled around his wrist, letting him know that she was content; Gohan felt himself genuinely smile for the first time in days.

* * *

Cell finally walked back inside Capsule Corporation, having been back from his investigations for a few hours now; it was starting to go dark. He was wondering what to do with himself, the fighters would have sensed him by now. Not that he cared much.

He ended up in the living quarters, walking towards Gohan's room. He didn't sense him in there but went inside anyway. The room was indeed empty as he thought, until he set eyes on something wriggling about on the bed. He walked towards it, hearing it squeak as he got closer. He glared down as he got to the foot of the bed, watching it's indecisive attempts at crying.

It had his face.

"So... you must be the child that I tried to dispose of."

Nita became unsettled for a second, letting out something between a cough and a cry. Cell thought she was the strangest little creature he'd ever seen; so tiny, yet filled with energy as she continued to squirm and flail her limbs about for no particular reason that he could see. She finally opened her eyes, setting her sights on the parent she'd never met before.

Cell saw not only himself in her, but Gohan as well. She had his dark brown eyes, but they were also different to Gohan's; they were so full of life and curiosity - and gazing back up at him, unafraid. It was as if she knew who he was. It made Cell feel uncomfortable, so uncomfortable that he was scared to touch her in case he actually felt some sort of sentiment towards her that he didn't understand. He didn't like the purity and innocence in those eyes that carried on staring him down like she was trying to reach into him. She wasn't scared of him.

Cell ended up reaching his hand out towards her, but not to touch her or pick her up; he held his hand out above her, his palm outstretched as he got ready to strike. Yet as much as he wanted to destroy her - nothing came out of his hand.

The android could feel his hand shaking above her; he brought it back down to his side. Why couldn't he do it? He'd killed thousands of children in the past without even blinking, even finding pleasure in it. Why was this child any different? He didn't even feel this kind of instinct towards the miniature clones he made of himself during the Cell Games. He would have destroyed them too without a second thought. This was different; he didn't like the fact that he couldn't lay a finger on her.

"Get away from her."

Cell finally removed his eyes from Nita to see Gohan stood at the doorway. He shut the door and hurried over, picking her up and holding her upright in his arms not taking his eyes off Cell.

"What's her name?" he asked before he could formulate a rational enough thought to hold that back.

"Why do you care?"

"You said that I had the right to know that I had a child. I'd like to know her name."

"It's Nita," said Gohan, saying it almost proudly.

"Nita... " he echoed, saying it himself to finally acknowledge her existence. "Why Nita?"

"I don't know, I just always liked it."

"Does she do anything except lie there squirming?"

"She's a four week old baby, so no, not really," said Gohan. "But I guess you don't know that much about babies, do you? Besides murdering them."

"No, I suppose I don't." Cell watched Gohan cradle Nita as if she was the most precious thing in the universe. He hadn't seen anything like it. Gohan actually found some amusement in the disgruntled look on Cell's face when Nita started shamelessly gawking at him again. "Why does she insist on doing that?" Gohan started giggling at her; a child's honesty really was hilarious to watch.

"The all powerful android who can destroy planets with a flick of his wrist is being silently interrogated by a newborn baby. And the baby's winning," taunted Gohan, smiling at the irony of it all. "You're scared of her, aren't you?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" asked Cell half-sarcastically, fixed in some sort of stand off with Nita.

"The look on your face." Cell looked at Gohan, seeing Nita in him immediately. They were standing in front of him as if they were one person. Gohan decided to put her down again, lying her carefully on his bed. "I saw you before. Holding your hand over her."

"Why didn't you stop me?" Cell felt that it was safe enough to approach him now that Nita was back on the bed. He stood behind him, looking over his shoulder; Gohan was definitely taller, not as tall as him in the android's still shrunken state, but though he was so different, he still smelled the same.

"Because I knew you wouldn't do it," answered Gohan calmly. He didn't take his eyes off Nita, watching her fall asleep as he felt Cell get closer, breathing against his ear and carefully snaking his hand around his waist to hold him close against him.

Cell forgot what it was like just to touch him; though he didn't verbally admit it, he actually missed him - or rather, he missed the control he had over him... and his body. Gohan kept his arms firmly at his sides, not moving as he felt Cell sigh against his hair, his fingers hooking into his belt. Gohan turned his head to the left, rotating his body slightly until he was face to face with him. Cell held him as he moved in closer, their noses touching as he went in for a kiss, only to be interrupted by Gohan at the last second.

"Why are you here?" he whispered. "What's your game?"

"What makes you think I'm here to play games?"

"Because I know you. Maybe just as well as you know me."

"Why do you think I'm here then? Enlighten me."

"Because you want to hurt me," said Gohan, still maintaining his calm as he was still in Cell's arms.

"You're not entirely wrong, there."

"And I know what else you're after right now. And the answer is no."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to," said Gohan firmly, his eyes narrowing. "But then, you never could take no for an answer, could you? Not even when I repeatedly say it to you." Cell laughed quietly.

"So you remember, then? You're taking it quite well."

"I'm taking it well because I've had weeks to come to terms with it. So no, I don't want to fuck right now."

Gohan broke away from him, sharply taking Cell's hands off him.

"Not right now, you don't. But you'll come back when it all starts falling apart again," said Cell as he walked away to open the door.

"And why's that?"

"Because despite everything, you still love me."

Gohan watched him leave with the last laugh, but sighed as he sat beside Nita, stroking the fine black hair on her head.

"Maybe I do," he said to himself. "But I think I also love someone else... " Gohan sighed as Trunks came into his head; even though he still had feelings for Cell, they were completely different compared to the newer feelings that he was having for Trunks. "Tell me what to do, Nita. I don't know what to do... "

Gohan finally understood Cell's hesitance with Nita as he thought about Trunks; he knew for a fact that he was starting to fall for him, but he was scared to love him.

* * *

Once Gohan had finished feeding Nita later that night, she was starting to fall asleep, hopefully for at least the next five hours. He stood up, placing her in her basket on the other side of Trunks' room. He stayed there almost every night these days. He helped her along into a deep sleep by stroking her hair before Trunks quietly entered the room.

"Is she asleep?"

"Yeah," said Gohan as he walked over, joining him as they got into bed.

As they settled down close together, Gohan closed the gap between them quickly, kissing him passionately. Trunks wrapped his arms around him in response, he could feel his hand moving down his body, not giving him much chance to resist his advances - not that Trunks wanted to resist. Gohan broke the kiss, propping himself up on his elbow to give Trunks enough access to bury his face into the crook of Gohan's neck to keep himself quiet.

A few soft moans escaped his lips as he felt Gohan's hand dive into his shorts, grabbing hold of him and pleasuring him slowly. After a couple of minutes, Trunks started to pant. Gohan let go, pushing him onto his back and removing his shorts before kissing him again. He was suddenly overcome with lust and primitive urges as Trunks' eyes met his own. Trunks tried to move, but his hair was caught under him.

"I really need to cut my hair... " he laughed quietly.

"But I like it," said Gohan, as he played with it.

"I won't cut it too short then. Just for you," he said teasingly. Gohan found his way to Trunks' neck, licking and nipping at the mark he gave to him; Trunks was feeling overwhelming sensations from it like he always did, grinding up against Gohan.

"You're so beautiful... " Trunks shuddered under him, feeling Gohan's hands exploring his arms and his sides while he moved his own around his hips and lower back, slowly pushing his pants down. Gohan brought his head back up, tilting Trunks' head back to the center with his fingers before kissing him again. He pulled back with a devious smile. "Turn over."

Trunks shot him a similar smile in return, obeying him as he quietly shifted himself around until he was lying on his front, his head on it's side looking to the right. He felt Gohan brush all of his hair to the opposite side, completely exposing his back. Gohan lay down on top of him, making sure that the covers hid what they were doing, gently kissing his shoulder.

Trunks closed his eyes, feeling relaxed having Gohan pressed up against him. His mark began burning with pleasure as he felt Gohan's lubricated fingers moving in and out of him slowly.

* * *

Trunks decided to be lazy with his breakfast the next morning, leaving Gohan with Jeice as to make sure he wasn't alone while he grabbed something to eat. In his laziness, he took a ready meal out of the freezer and put it in the microwave. He was sleepy, resting his elbows on the counter, scraping his hair back and then burying his face in his hands before letting out a long yawn.

Cell had been following him, little did he know. Being away for two weeks didn't mellow the situation for him. He stood at the door just watching him, pondering what to do until his eyes wandered to the large pair of scissors left on the counter nearest to him; he had a spiteful idea... The android shuffled forwards carefully, quietly picking up the scissors in his hand. He was careful not to be louder than the microwave.

Trunks heard something behind him, but before he could turn around, whoever was there suddenly grabbed him by his hair and viciously yanked him backwards. He cried out as he felt his hair threatening to be ripped off his scalp when he heard something else and felt more pulling. He managed to break free, pushing himself forwards onto the counter and turned around.

Cell stumbled backwards after being pushed, but managed to snicker at him.

"What are you doing?!" shouted Trunks, rubbing his head.

"That's such a shame, I was hoping to completely scalp you. I suppose this will do for the time being," said Cell arrogantly. Trunks' eyes widened as Cell held up his hand containing the scissors... along with about five inches of lavender hair that he'd managed to hack off. From the front it remained untouched, but Trunks reached around to the back of his head; his hair, that was almost half way down his back after letting it grow, was now just a little longer than his shoulders. He pulled his hand back finding more loose clumps of it. It was uneven and messy.

Trunks wanted to kill Cell for attacking him like that, but couldn't bring himself to move or say anything. His hand was shaking - he didn't want to let Cell know that he was scared, but it was too late. He was cursing himself for showing his fear, but he felt violated. Whatever reasons Cell had for doing that weren't typical of the androids he knew of. No... this was personal.

"I wonder if it's just your hair that he likes about you," said Cell, a vindictive smile creeping across his lips. "He might even like your new look." He held up the scissors, tapping his chin with the handles whilst looking at him intently, severed locks still tangled around his fingers. "Personally, I still think you shouldn't have any hair at all," he said, pointing the blades at his face. "Would he still want you if I sliced your face up too?"

"What?"

Trunks wished he could form the words to describe how angry and humiliated he felt, but it was like his voice was stuck; he was frightened by the very particular threats thrown at him.

"Don't look so shocked, Trunks. It's what you deserve for stealing other's property," snarled Cell with a frightening look in his eye. Trunks finally found himself again, his feet engaging before his brain as he attempted to bolt for the door. He was caught easily and shoved back against the counter. "I need to know something... do you _always_ let him take control? Because you really shouldn't, the power really goes to his head sometimes."

Trunks tried to walk away again, but he was stopped once more. Cell was right in front of him. He didn't have the mental capacity to watch both Cell's face and what direction the scissors were pointing. Seeing something menacingly sharp being aimed at him like that only sent him back into that dark room where he was tortured by Frieza's men; the physical scars he got from them slicing into him started to burn.

"You running away to warn him?" taunted Cell. "Looking like this? That'll only make him feel worse than he already does. That's depression for you... but then, you'd know, wouldn't you?" His eyes widened; just how long had he been watching them for? "Once, I found him trying to hang himself out in the woods. Another time I found him drunk and bleeding from slashing his own wrists. Gohan's tried to kill himself several times over the smallest of things. You're telling me that you want to push him over the edge again?"

Trunks knew that Cell was twisting things; he didn't want to add to Gohan's depression, but the android was proving himself to be eerily persuasive.

"You need to have a serious think about what you're going to do. Did you honestly think that I wasn't going to retaliate when I found out about you two?" Cell laughed quietly. "Tell him what I just did to you if you want, but if you do, then that little girl isn't going to have anyone to love her anymore."

Cell backed off, putting the scissors back on the kitchen counter and dusting his hands of Trunks' hair, letting it fall onto the floor.

"You always did talk too much, Trunks. If you carry on now, then you might as well just kill him yourself."

"Don't talk about him like you give a damn about how he feels... " he scolded quietly. Cell approached him again, slamming his hands down on the counter at either side of him.

"And I suppose you do... " he sneered, looking down his nose at him. "How do you know that you're not just using Gohan to replace what you lost?"

"Because I'm not."

"Are you sure about that? Are you _really_ over losing the closest person to you?"

"I'll never really be over it, Cell. But I doubt a monster like you would understand that."

"He more or less said the exact same thing to me once," said Cell, taking a step back. "I've watched you people over the past year, letting your feelings and emotions take control. It'll destroy you in the end. Just like it destroyed Gohan."

"You're wrong."

"Am I? Be honest with me... when you're with him, is he really there? Because he's the type that uses sex to forget who he is," he said, moving in closer so that he made sure that Trunks was listening to him. "He always looks like he's with you, but you can still sense him abandoning himself every single time. Do you ever feel it?"

"No... "

"You do, I can tell. You feel him slipping away whenever you're touching him. Letting himself be used. I bet it doesn't take much to persuade that little whore in him to come out, does it?"

"Get out," growled Trunks dangerously. Cell just smiled back at him insolently, so much that it made Trunks so angry that he wanted to explode. He backed off, heading for the door.

"You'd better fix that hair before you see him. He's fragile enough without having to see that as well."

Trunks let out all the air in his lungs when he was alone again. He took his hands off the kitchen counter, which he'd been gripping onto throughout that encounter. The microwave had long since turned itself off, so he pulled the meal out and threw it away since it had cooled down too much. After disposing of most of the clumps of severed hair on the floor, he made a rapid exit, darting towards the nearest bathroom, taking the scissors with him.

Once he got in there, he locked the door. He took a few seconds to prepare himself for the worst before he looked in the mirror. Some of it was still long while chunks of it were now short, mostly at the back of his head rather than the front. Luckily, there was a wall mirror behind him so he could see what he was doing. He was used to cutting his own hair, after all.

Trunks had been meaning to cut it for a while but never got round to it, but he hated that he had to do it like this... he felt defiled. He did it quickly; he wasn't an expert but at least it was mostly even again, some bits were a little shorter than others, but it was always like that. It was now just level with his collar bone. Now he was wondering what Gohan would have though of it. Trunks was kicking himself for letting stupid questions start swimming around his head, a childish part of him believing that Gohan wouldn't be interested in him anymore looking like this. He hated it... he hated it so much because it was Cell that had forced him to do this.

He shook his head, putting the severed hair in the bin along with patting it all off his clothes. He swallowed his fears, trying to remain stoic as he left the bathroom.

* * *

"Nice food?" asked Jeice as Trunks came back into his room. Trunks completely forgot about what he originally left for.

"Oh... yeah."

"I'm dying for the bathroom, I'll be right back," he said, before darting out of the room.

Gohan placed Nita in her basket on the bed before standing up. He took one look at Trunks and immediately saw the obvious change.

"You cut your hair?" he asked with a smile. Trunks was desperately wanting to come clean about the real reason behind the sudden change, he had no excuse to keep it to himself, but something else entirely came out of his mouth.

"Yeah, it was starting to get in the way." _Why did I say that?_ Trunks was certain that it sounded like himself when he was speaking, but the words were put there for him. It didn't make any sense as to why he was taking what Cell said to him seriously. He wanted to be honest with Gohan, but he had the android's voice nagging him in the back of his head... what if him being targeted by Cell _did_ do more harm to Gohan's state of mind than good?

"I like it, it suits you," said Gohan, reaching out to touch it. That answer didn't make Trunks feel better. It should have settled the self-conscious thoughts in his head, but he only felt more horrible. _No it doesn't... Cell did this to me..._ He felt as if Cell had robbed him of something. He didn't mean to flinch when Gohan touched his face. "What is it?"

Trunks was trying not to let himself slip, just staring back at him not knowing what to think. He just looked into those dark brown eyes seeing nothing but worry; before he could say anything, he pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Are you okay?"

Trunks was hugging him as if he hadn't seen him for weeks. Gohan returned it, holding him close. It made Trunks feel a little better; Gohan wasn't slipping away like Cell warned him that he would... he was right there, he was real.

"What's wrong?"

Actually, in that moment, nothing was wrong. And it made him finally realise something.

"Nothing, I just... "

"What?" asked Gohan as he pulled back. Just looking at him secured what he was thinking. This time, he did engage his brain first, deciding not to say what he was thinking in case that pushed him over the edge as well - there was time for that later.

"It doesn't matter," said Trunks with a reassuring smile. Gohan smiled back, both of them sinking back into another embrace.

 _I think I love you._

 **Never written a triangle before... it's going to get messy!**

 **Please Review!**


	21. Old Habits

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **And we're back to the nitty-gritty stuff. Quite a dark, heavy chapter ahead.**

 **CHAPTER 21: OLD HABITS**

Four days and Trunks was only just getting himself back on track again after Cell attacked him, not that the boy in his arms knew about it. He and Gohan were in bed together, it was about 6am. They heard Nita starting to wake up, but let her be for a while. Gohan was still feeling the effects of his latest wave of depression, he didn't sleep a wink all night. Trunks tried his best not to show it, but after his ordeal, he didn't know what to do for the best besides be there for him, but it never felt like he was doing enough to help him.

It only reminded him of the darkest times in his past. Even though he managed to recover some years ago now, one of his deepest fears was sinking back into his own state of depression again; he thought about the places he went to inside his head, he didn't think that he'd make it back if he ended up there again.

"Trunks?"

"Yeah?" Trunks couldn't see what expression Gohan had on his face; he held him in his arms so that Gohan was nuzzling into his chest.

"I can ask you anything, right?" said Gohan, closing his eyes as Trunks was stroking his hair.

"Sure."

"Have you ever considered suicide?" he asked. Gohan felt him pause for a few moments, sensing his obvious upset as he started to remember.

"Yes."

"When?"

"When I was sixteen."

Gohan felt a little better by hearing that for some reason; Trunks was the same age as him when he was having dark thoughts.

"What stopped you from going through with it?"

"My mother. She needed me," said Trunks softly. "Why are you asking?"

"I... don't know... " whimpered Gohan, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to push dangerous, suicidal impulses out of his brain. He had fought many battles in his short life, but this was proving to be the hardest one to beat back.

"Nita needs you, Gohan."

"I know."

Trunks pulled him into a tight embrace, feeling relieved when Gohan returned it. He could tell that Gohan was on the edge of something, but both him and Nita were proving to be necessary anchors for him until he came round again; he was hoping that it would be sooner rather than later. Gohan's impulsive behavior was beginning to become worrying.

"I want you to stay with Jeice today, okay? I don't want you to be by yourself."

"I'm never by myself. Not with all this stupid shit racing through my head."

"I don't want you to get hurt," said Trunks softly, pulling back to look at him properly. "You just need to hold on for a little longer."

"Okay... I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising. You're going to beat this. You've done it before."

* * *

Trunks finally got round to his shower, going back into the kitchen for his bottle of water that he left in the fridge. He walked into the bathroom, gulping down most of the bottle's contents before placing it on the counter, it was refreshing to him after his first training session in weeks. He took his jacket off, letting it fall on the floor. He jumped when the door shut behind him.

"What are you doing in here?!"

"I would have expected you to have had the brains to vacate my territory by now, but still... you refuse to see sense."

"Maybe you should stay out of our lives," spat Trunks, glaring at Cell.

"You started all of this yourself, Trunks. Why don't you just do what you should've done a long time ago; go back to your timeline and disappear forever."

"I could say the same to you, couldn't I?"

"I'm aware that I don't fit in anywhere. I don't intend to... but you? You're lost. You're trying to be a part of them, but you were never supposed to, Trunks. You'll never really belong here. So why don't you just do everyone a favor and fade away. They'll soon forget about you."

"You can't make me, Cell. I'm not Gohan."

"No... you're just like him," sneered Cell, approaching him menacingly. "Just as lost and alone as he is."

"Ow!"

Trunks didn't know why he wasn't laughing at the way Cell was hurting him; he wasn't beating him to half to death like he expected him too - he was backing him into the wall whilst pinching his arms harshly with his fingers.

"He never liked pinches either. You squirm like him too."

"Stop it!"

He finally hit the wall, feeling a little relieved when Cell took his hands back. The android smirked as he observed all the little red marks appearing on his arms. Trunks was starting to feel a little woozy, blinking hard and shaking his head. He was wondering what was happening to him.

"And you bruise the same."

"What did you do to me?" slurred Trunks, feeling the room starting to spin.

"That's just the antranide I put in your drink."

"W-what?"

Trunks hated feeling this disoriented; he'd never been high before - except 'that one time' during his mid-teens; he hated it, which was why he never did it again. His body felt weak as if it was floating.

"I'm able to still hop between the living world and the next thanks to instant transmission... and the unstable barriers of course. I thought you could loosen up a little. And... just like him... it's working a treat."

"I... uh... " Trunks couldn't focus, he couldn't feel anything.

"I wonder if you're just as unrestrained as he is?"

Trunks was staring right through him, his eyes were glazed over as if they were made of glass as if he'd left his body behind. He felt nothing, forgetting where he was and what he was doing. The android in front of him was getting closer, but he wasn't aware enough to register it, he was only vaguely aware of a cold pair of lips appearing on his own.

It took him a few seconds to realise that Cell was kissing him; with the last shred of reality that he had in his grasp he grunted with disgust and shoved him away with his remaining bit of strength. The last thing he heard was laughing.

"Well... you have a lot more self control, that's for sure."

Trunks slid down the wall as he finally lost consciousness; Cell had laced his water with enough antranide to knock him out for a few hours.

* * *

Gohan managed to hold on through the whole day just about; the more time passed, the better he felt after keeping himself busy, becoming more sociable and talkative with Jeice. No he felt like he'd worn himself out enough, he had given Nita to Chi Chi and Goku for the night, them offering to look after her while he caught up on sleep. He went into his room for the first time in days to pick up a few things before going back to Trunks' room again; only he jumped when Cell was stood at the doorway.

"Why do you never sleep in your own room?"

"The fact that you've noticed that I don't only tells me that you've been following me... do you have any idea how creepy that is?"

"No Nita?" asked Cell as he closed the door.

"No, she's not here. She's somewhere where she can't interrogate you," taunted Gohan.

"Good, I've been trying to catch you alone for some time."

"I told you I'm not interested!" shouted Gohan.

"And why's that?"

"Why can't you take no for an answer?"

"Why are you avoiding the question?" asked Cell, figuratively backing him into a corner. Gohan didn't answer, he didn't know how to without revealing his relationship with Trunks. "If you can't give me a definitive reason why you don't want to, then why aren't you taking your clothes off for me right now?"

"I don't want to!"

"Please... you are such a terrible liar. Why do you even try?"

"Just leave me alone."

"Tell me why you don't want to."

"I... " Gohan was trapped, and he knew it. He was starting to prepare himself for the beating of his life. "I can't."

"I can."

"What are you talking about?" asked Gohan nervously, his facial expression obviously giving him away completely.

"I know why you don't want to," said Cell calmly, getting closer to him. "It's because you've worn yourself out."

"What?"

"You won't touch me because you're already wearing yourself out on somebody else."

"No, I - "

"You always were such a fucking little whore," he growled, violently grabbing hold of Gohan's face. "I shouldn't really be surprised... I was unconscious for four whole months, I would have been a fool to think that you could go without it for more than five minutes." Gohan was scared, he wanted Cell to just get on with whatever he was going to do - it was what he deserved. "I should have seen it coming after the first time I saw you together."

"I only kissed him the first time so that you would finally put me out of my misery."

"Maybe so, but he's a saiyan too. And you saiyans have always been animals."

"Whatever you're going to do to me, just fucking do it!" cried Gohan, ripping Cell's hand off his face.

"I didn't come here to hurt you, Gohan."

"Why don't I believe that?" said Gohan hatefully. "Why should I believe a single fucking word that comes out of your mouth?"

"I'll tell you what you're going to do. You're going to make it up to me."

"Why should I?"

"You strayed while I was lying in a coma. A coma that I ended up in trying to save _you_ , no less," said Cell manipulatively, making Gohan feel guilty again. "You've got the entire night to yourself, you might as well make use of it."

"Sorry, I've got to be somewhere - "

"Trunks isn't going to bother us," said Cell with a smirk that made Gohan feel uncomfortable.

"What did you do to him?!"

"Nothing that bad. I just slipped some antranide into his drink. He's going to be out for quite a while... "

"You bastard... "

"That's the fire I've been missing. I thought fatherhood had mellowed that attitude for a second there," taunted Cell. He brought his hand out to the dresser and put two grey pills on it.

"Don't tell me you're back on that stuff."

"Not at all, they're for you."

"Fuck off... " spat Gohan.

"In case the guilt starts getting to you."

"What makes you think that this is going to work on me?"

"To secure the safety of the ones you love the most." Gohan opened his mouth to spew something vile back at him, but was too taken aback by the situation; instead, he just glared back at him in disbelief. Cell was emotionally blackmailing him. "Don't look at me like that... not after everything you've done," snarled Cell.

"You'd really kill the people I care about just for this?"

"You really have to ask that?" snickered Cell with an deranged look in his eyes. "But the real question you should be asking yourself is.. do you love Nita?"

"Why are you threatening her? She has nothing to do with what you want from me!" shouted Gohan angrily. "It's not like you can physically hurt her anyway, I've seen you try and you can't! She's _your_ daughter too, or have you forgotten that already?"

"You're right, she is. And I can't physically lay a finger on her without good intentions. But there's nothing stopping me from _accidentally_ dropping a lit match nearby... " That last threat earned Cell a hard smack across the face.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her!" seethed Gohan. "Or Trunks, for that matter." He didn't care if he was going to get that slap back ten times as hard; even Cell didn't realise to what lengths Gohan would go to to prevent Nita from getting hurt.

"I'll ask you again... do you love her?"

"Yes, I do. More than you'll ever realise."

"And you want to protect her? More specifically, do you want to protect her from me?"

"Yes."

"Then protect her," said Cell, eyeing the pills that were still on the dresser. Gohan looked at them as well before sighing to himself. He did want to protect both Trunks and Nita, but at the sacrifice of himself and the remainder of his sanity.

"You'll leave them alone?"

"If you give me what I want... what we've _both_ been wanting for so long."

"I can't just... " Gohan's head was starting to spin, he didn't know what to do for the best.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes... " he said, hating himself for admitting it.

"Then take the pills," said Cell quietly. Gohan sighed, defeated and overtaken with confusion and guilt - and the desire to protect Trunks and Nita from Cell. He didn't know if that even justified what he was about to do. Gohan walked towards the dresser, picking up the grey pills and putting them into his mouth. He hesitantly swallowed them. This was the first time he'd taken antranide for over six months. "I knew you'd see sense."

Gohan could feel him whispering against his ear, but he could also feel the antranide working it's magic, making him feel light and taking all of his worries away. Cell's arms slid around his waist slowly, one of his hands slipping under his shirt. Gohan felt a cold hand on his bare stomach, another undoing his jeans before pushing them down. Cell was kissing his neck, his lips trailing over the mark that Trunks gave him; whenever Trunks did that it always made him feel good, but it wasn't him, it was like his body automatically knew it and his skin crawled.

Cell turned Gohan around, causing him to step out of his jeans, though he still had his boxers as well as his black tank top. The android pushed him against the dresser before finally kissing him. Gohan, heavily under the influence of the drug he'd taken, melted into the way he was being kissed; he unintentionally moaned as he started to lose himself.

"You taste exactly the same... " he whispered, pulling back.

Cell pushed his boxers off him and led him towards the bed, Gohan becoming lost in his delirium; nothing else existed apart from this room anymore. He didn't know whether his thoughts were his own any longer. Cell sat on the bed against the wall, Gohan unconsciously following him to instinctively sit on top of him. Gohan put his knee on the bed, then went to straddle him until Cell turned him around on top of him to face the rest of the room. Gohan was unaware of much, but did as he was told as Cell leaned closer to him to push him forwards until he was on all fours in front of him. The android caressed one of his inner thighs softly, getting a shaky gasp in return.

"Has it kicked in yet?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the display in front of him. "Well? I didn't give you enough to mute you completely."

"Uh huh... " mumbled Gohan nervously, not knowing what was going on behind him, but also hitting a comforting high that left his with a fuzzy feeling throughout his body, clouding his thoughts. He felt two lubricated fingers push into him slowly, making his elbows threaten to cave in under him. They felt as cold as he remembered, which only added to the sensations. Another cold hand began playing around, gliding over his skin underneath him and gripping onto his length. Then came the third finger as Cell pushed deeper into him before bringing them out and jamming them back in again repeatedly.

Cell could hear him quietly moaning to himself, smirking as he began rocking his hips back and forth to match his movements. Gohan was foolish to think that he could have held back what was threatening to take him over - Cell knew exactly what gave him the most pleasure. This time, Gohan's elbows did cave in as the top half of his body collapsed onto the bed. Gohan buried his face in his arms, his hands clutching onto the bed covers as he finally let him be heard. He didn't want it to end, both the drugs and what Cell was doing to him were filling his body with warmth and ecstasy. He was disappointed when he stopped, removing his hands from their intimate positions.

Gohan could feel his legs shaking under him, the skin on his backside stung when Cell dug his fingernails into him, squeezing him hard before nudging him to the left. He took the hint, unsteadily getting off him and moving to the side. He felt disoriented under the influence of the antranide, his lower body was still vibrating from what it had just experienced. He closed his eyes before he felt Cell take his hand to lead him around in front of him, the android could see how out of it he was as he still hadn't opened his eyes yet. He let go of his hand and lowered him down by the back of his head.

Gohan felt something hard and wet try to make its way into his mouth. He opened his eyes again when he realised what it was, unintentionally parting his lips to let it in. Now he could hear Cell moaning; instead of making him feel guilty, it made him feel good just like it used to as he introduced his tongue. He could feel him twitching with pleasure as well as his fingers combing through his hair. He stayed down there for a good few minutes, giving it everything he had; he was getting carried away, something nagging him in the back of his head, but the drugs were blocking it out.

Cell finally let go of his head. Gohan brought himself back up again, quickly enough to make him feel dizzy. He looked at Cell in front of him; it was as if nothing had changed at all, the past four months never happened and it was just the two of them again. Gohan went forwards, Cell pulling him up to straddle him again, only this time they were facing each other. Cell pulled his shirt off over his head before moving his hands up and down his sides and tasting his chest. Gohan was automatically lowering himself down onto the length that was attempting to push into him. Cell held him close, triumphant as Gohan was doing it all by himself at last.

Cell lay back a little, admiring his body - he hadn't seen him at this proximity for a long time. His hands moved down to his hips, subtly moving them around when a smile crept across his lips.

"I've actually missed this," said Cell quietly, obviously referring to his body more than anything else. Gohan just stared down at him, trying to control himself. "You going to dance for me?"

"I don't dance," drawled Gohan, no longer able to form a single rational thought.

"Sure you do, you always loved dancing on me."

Gohan complied anyway, despite the doubts still trying to break through the drug-filled barrier inside his brain. He started grinding his hips downwards, snaking his torso. He got some sounds out of Cell that he hadn't heard in months. His movements soon began to increase, getting so aggressive that he was bouncing up and down on him vigorously... or as much as he could without the bed breaking as he could already hear it creaking. Gohan was doing the one thing he promised himself that he wouldn't do - slip back into his old habits, he was enjoying himself.

He soon started moaning out loud, gripping onto Cell's shoulders as he sped up. Cell stopped him by grabbing his hips and halting his movements. Gohan finally had a chance to catch his breath, beads of sweat were beginning to appear all over him. Cell brought his head down into a passionate kiss before pushing him sideways until he fell off him.

"Well, that was an energetic performance," panted Cell as he rolled onto his knees, dragging Gohan onto all fours again in front of him. "But then, I expected nothing less from you."

Cell dived back into him again mercilessly, Gohan grunted from the force he was using. The android could feel him trembling under his fingers as he leaned over and whispered to him.

"Are you going to come for me?" he asked in a low voice. Even though it made Gohan shudder, the antranide seemed to be wearing off a little.

"Ah... n-no... " he stammered, forcing the word out.

"And one of the many things I like about you... defiance."

Cell pulled out and slammed back into him repeatedly without letting up; Gohan cried out in ecstasy, gripping onto the bed covers. His widened eyes were glazed over, fixated on the rest of the room, everything that was flowing through his body was starting to drive him insane. He forgot how resilient Cell was when he was in this kind of mood, pounding him harder until he climaxed quickly, his knees and arms finally gave way and he collapsed onto his stomach. Cell fell forwards on top of him and started hitting him where he liked it the most.

"That resistance didn't last very long did it?" said Cell arrogantly as he curled one of his arms under him. Gohan was still twitching from his recent orgasm, the calm that usually followed was interrupted by Cell's persistent thrusting. Cell was smiling maliciously at how easily Gohan had given into him once again, pulling out and flipping him onto his back.

Gohan had long forgotten the real reason he was going through with this, completely lost in a sea of pleasure and confusion. He was feeling everything and nothing at the same time. Cell was soon on top of him again, carrying on where he left off. Remembering from one of the last times they'd been together before his coma, he tilted his hips to the right slightly and started hitting him from there; as expected, Gohan was sent into an uncontrollable frenzy, no longer holding back those explicit sounds that Cell had been trying to get out of him.

Feeling that he'd won, Cell let himself go, no longer caring what Gohan was thinking and going for the finish. He leaned forwards on top of him, trying to get as deep into his as he could. Gohan's desperate moaning was starting to push him over the edge. Just as he was about to finish, he got an unanticipated surprise; Gohan's chest arched up against him and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he experienced a second orgasm seemingly out of nowhere. Cell managed to let out a short victorious laugh before everything took him over. The way Gohan looked as he rode out his climax and the way he was clenching around him sent him over the edge, experiencing a fulfilling high as he finally emptied himself into Gohan.

Once Cell had completely finished, he let go of Gohan's hips, revealing purple grip marks all over them. He sat up, watching Gohan panting and twitching as he lay on his back. He enjoyed the sight of him coming back down to earth again as he caught his breath.

"Well, I know I would have struggled to get at least one out of you, but two? I'm flattered," taunted Cell as Gohan tried to move, but he was so spent that he couldn't even move his legs. "You've missed how this makes you feel. Deep down."

Gohan remained silent... the drugs were beginning to wear off at last. Cell climbed on top of him again, kissing him hungrily. Gohan kissed him back with just as much desire, but showed no emotion. The barriers that the antranide created in his mind were slowly crumbling away. As Cell got up again, Gohan turned onto his side and stared blankly at the wall.

"I'll leave you to it, then," said Cell casually as he went to leave. Gohan spoke up before he had the chance.

"Are you going to leave them alone?" he asked, still no emotion coming through.

"Now that I have you, I don't need to go anywhere near them, do I?"

Gohan heard Cell laughing quietly to himself, taking his latest victory with him as he finally left the room. He was left alone in the dark, naked and used on the bed.

He felt hollow as the drugs finally left him completely, leaving him feeling more guilty than ever. All that moving on he did, spending the past few months rebuilding his life and getting better - all gone. He was right back where he started. All of that work just to end up back in bed with Cell, loving every second of everything that the android gave to him but hating himself for it at the same time.

Then he thought about Trunks, and how much he'd betrayed him just for letting go for a short period of time. He was hit with the startling realisation that in protecting him from Cell, Trunks had ended up getting hurt anyway through Gohan's actions.

His wrists began to itch; he was back in his selfish state of mind, his body willing to self-destruct. Gohan ended up instantly getting up, putting his shirt back on that was still on the bed, then finding his pants on the floor to put them on as quickly as he could. As he pulled them up, he collapsed again onto the floor, his legs still not working from what he'd just done. Then he remembered that he didn't have to leave the room... he still had razor blades hidden in his drawer.

Gohan shuffled over to where he kept them by his bed, his trembling hands finding them in their small metal case. He hadn't done this in a long time, but he didn't have a single contradictory thought to stop him... he deserved to be punished. He really fucked up this time.

 **Please Review!**


	22. Giving Up

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **We've got a rare two-hander, chapter-long scene. It might be a bit heavy, but it but I'm trying to create a situation where Gohan would actually talk about how he really feels to someone other than Cell - and things get nasty.**

 **CHAPTER 22: GIVING UP**

Trunks' eyes flickered open, he was experiencing a horrible headache as the bathroom light seemed to blind him as he came round. He groaned as he regained his awareness, realising that he was lying on the bathroom floor. He rolled onto his side, pinching the bridge of his nose as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

Then he remembered how he got there; he remembered that the last thing he saw was Cell before passing out. He looked up onto the counter to see the almost empty bottle of water, getting up unsteadily to grab it and pour the remainder of the water down the sink after recalling that it was laced with antranide. He realised that he must have been given a serious amount to knock him out like that, especially with the extent of his hangover. Now he was wondering where Cell was and why he drugged him; if it wasn't to hurt him, then it must have been to keep him out of the way.

"Gohan... " His eyes snapped open as he bolted for the door, despite his sluggishness. Gohan was incredibly fragile the last time he saw him early that morning. What if Cell had gotten to him while he was unconscious?

He ran through the building, coming to his room to find it empty. Panicking, he ran towards Gohan's room instead, praying that he was okay, but also praying that Cell wasn't there too. Once he got there, he burst in through the door to find the room shrouded in darkness; he switched the light on and closed the door, his heart sinking when he saw Gohan on the floor, slumped upright against the bed facing away from him. He wasn't moving.

"Gohan?" he said worryingly, something springing him into action. He dived down onto the floor, pulling him by his shoulder to turn him around. To his relief, Gohan was murmuring something under his breath when he was being moved; he weakly shrugged Trunks' hand off his shoulder, burying his head further into the side of the bed. "Can you hear me? Did he hurt you?"

"Leave me alone... " he mumbled weakly.

Trunks put his hands around his waist and shuffled him around, despite his weak protests. Gohan's eyes were half open, frighteningly empty and glazed over. Trunks felt something warm and sticky all over his arms, looking down to find that both his and Gohan's arms were covered with blood. He couldn't conceal his shock at the sight of it; he'd never seen the affects of self-harm on anybody other than himself, apart from the one time months ago when he helped Gohan clean up a self inflicted injury on his stomach. But he'd never seen him like this.

"Come on, let's go to the bathroom," he said, helping him up. Gohan didn't put much effort into standing, Trunks felt like he was dragging a dead weight around, it was as if he'd given up completely. They managed to get there without anybody seeing them, Trunks locked the door before guiding Gohan down to the floor since he seemed to refuse to stand up by himself.

"Please go... just leave me... I'm fine."

"You're not fine," said Trunks firmly, the situation was starting to get to him. He thought that it was all under control, but the smallest thing was all it would have taken to finally push him over the edge. And since Cell had knocked him out to keep him away, he knew for a fact that the android had something to do with it. "What did he do?"

"Who?" asked Gohan, not really looking at him. It looked like he was finally coming around again.

"Cell. I know he had something to do with this."

"I did this to myself... it's what I deserve."

"Is that what he told you?"

"No, it's what _I_ told me... " he slurred, sitting up of his own accord this time.

"We need to get you cleaned up," said Trunks. He had deep cuts on his now naked left wrist as well as up the inside of his forearm, one of which was still bleeding. Trunks felt uneasy having Gohan's blood all over his hands and smeared up his arms.

"Don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"Stop caring! I don't deserve it!" cried Gohan, pushing his hands away and refusing to be treated with any kindness at all.

"Why not?"

"I've hurt you."

"What did he do to you, Gohan?!" asked Trunks frantically, panicking at how unhinged he'd become.

"Nothing, he said that I'd hurt you eventually. And I have. So stop being nice to me!"

"What are you talking about?"

Gohan felt something click, his anger and frustration finally spilling out. He wanted Trunks to hate him.

"I fucked him!" he said maliciously, trying to provoke a reaction from Trunks. "I fucked him and I loved every second of it." Gohan didn't know why he was laughing, it had a twisted madness to it. Trunks didn't know how to react, not wanting to believe it. He didn't want to be overcome by how much he was upset by it because of the state that Gohan was in, but he couldn't help it. "You could never prevent it from happening, it always ends this way no matter what I do or how much I try."

"Why?" he asked, clearly shaken and hurt in his voice and his facial expression; above all things, he was scared - Gohan's voice had no life left in it at all. Gohan was relieved by his response, the last thing he wanted was to be told that everything would be okay.

"Because I wanted to."

"No you didn't... " protested Trunks weakly, still trying to hold back his anguish.

"I did, I came twice. Why would I do that if I didn't want it?"

"Stop it!" Trunks shook him furiously by the shoulders; he didn't let on that he was compensating for wanting to physically knock some sense back into him. He was holding back the urge to hurt him back - it was what Cell wanted. "Why are you saying these things? Why are you trying to hurt me?"

"He said he'd kill you and Nita if I didn't," said Gohan with a straight face. "I wanted to protect you. But that was only ever going to be just another excuse for yet another meaningless fuck, wasn't it?" Trunks didn't say anything, stunned into silence and taking everything in. "So why are you still here? I don't want your help."

Gohan was shaking with anger, but he was angry at himself and Trunks could see that despite his own suffering. He could see that Gohan was trying to take all his anger out on him since he could no longer take it out on himself without doing some serious damage. Gohan ended up facing away from him, only to be stopped by Trunks' hand on his shoulder, turning him back again.

"So that's it? You're just giving up?"

"I've already given up. Four months of no cutting and staying sober, and it's still never enough!"

"You get abused and manipulated for months and I'm supposed to just leave you alone to bleed to death? Why are you still so convinced that it's all your fault?"

"It _is_ my fault. I fucked him, remember? _I_ did that!"

"What were you meant to do?!"

"I was meant to not give in so fucking easily! But I did! Go away!"

"No, I'm not going away!"

"Why not?!" shouted Gohan, no longer holding back his tears. "I will always fuck up, I cheated on you! Why are you still here trying to take care of me?!"

"Isn't it fucking obvious?" said Trunks, now raising his voice. Gohan stopped, seeing something in Trunks' eyes that he only just realised had been there for a long time.

"Don't... " whimpered Gohan, shaking his head. "Don't you dare say it!"

"Why not? You're being honest with me, so I'm being honest with you."

Gohan tried to shout back but nothing came out this time, he just ran his hand through his hair, tears streaming down his face and not noticing the blood from his arm smearing on the left side of his face as he gripped onto his own hair. He followed his gut instinct, scrambling onto his feet and bolting towards the door, only feeling more enraged when Trunks stopped him, yanking him back by the arm that didn't have cuts on it.

"Stop running away!"

"Let go of me!"

Gohan snatched his arm back, going for the door again, only to be stopped a second time by Trunks, who turned him around and held him up against the wall by his shoulders.

"If you want someone to take all of your hatred out on, then go ahead, put it all on me," he said quietly, not knowing whether he was going to regret offering or not.

"Why? What good is that going to do other than fuck you up too?" seethed Gohan.

"I fucked up long before you did. So give me everything you have because I've felt it all before." Gohan shoved him backwards violently, but it wasn't to hurt him, it was to save him from the punch that would have been if it weren't for the very same feelings that Trunks had for him. Gohan was still trying to deny them. "You need to stop punishing yourself. It doesn't get you anywhere. All it's going to do is make you sink even lower than your already are."

"You seriously think I could get any lower than this?" said Gohan, holding his left arm out. "I went back to him without even thinking, and now I've gone back to cutting. I'm not climbing back up just to fall right back where I started all over again."

"You haven't given up yet, Gohan. And do know how I can tell? It's because you wanted me to find you back there. If you'd have given up then you'd be dead right now."

" _Fuck._ _Off_... "

"Keep trying."

"What more do you want? And if you really don't believe that a slept with him of my own accord, then you can fucking watch next time it happens if that's what it's going to take." Gohan immediately saw Trunks' hand twitch at his side as if he just resisted raising it to him. For some twisted reason, it seemed to satisfy him. "What? You want to hit me? Go on then, hit me."

"I'm not going to hit you."

"Why not?"

"Because it's what he wants."

"It's what _I_ want."

"If you want to be punished for no reason at all, then I'm not going to do it."

"Don't be a coward, hit me!"

"No!"

"Hit me!" he shouted furiously, coming forward to shove Trunks again.

"I'm not going to hit you."

Trunks caught Gohan by the wrist as his hand came flying towards him. It didn't take him much effort to stop him anyway, it was like he was being attacked by a drunk person. Then he caught the other that tried to push him, Gohan was uncoordinated and sloppy. Gohan wanted Trunks to loathe him so much, but his efforts were proving futile.

"Cell would have fucking destroyed me by now."

"I'm not Cell! And why don't you see that he's manipulating you?!"

"If I'm so blind to it then I'm probably better off dead! As long as I'm around then Cell is too. Nita is safer and better off without me around."

"Don't say that... don't you ever say that!"

"She deserves so much better than me. How can I possibly be a good parent after everything I've done?"

"What about all of the good that you've ever done?" asked Trunks, the dark, empty look in Gohan's eyes was scaring him.

"It doesn't compare, believe me. You don't know the half of it."

"So tell me! What's so bad that's convinced you that you're better off dead? We've all done bad things at some point!"

"Are you a murderer? Because I am."

Trunks stopped, having to double check that he heard that right.

"You're lying... "

"Am I?" laughed Gohan deliriously. "I've had a lot of fighters mentor me and teach me over the years, but Cell also taught me how to kill. How to stop fucking around and just get the job done."

"You're not a killer, that isn't you!"

"Yeah? My saiyan half got out for eight whole days once and killed nineteen innocent people... just for fun." Trunks let go of him, Gohan couldn't see anything else but shock and disbelief on his face; that was the first time he'd told anybody that. "Do you hate me, yet?"

"No, I don't hate you. I could never hate you... "

"Why not?!"

"Because I love you!" cried Trunks finally.

"No you don't... " said Gohan weakly, trying not to feel anything; it was something he was secretly longing to hear. "How can you love a killer?"

"Because you're not a killer. That's not who you really are. That's just what he's trying to turn you into."

"You don't love me - you can't!" Gohan knew he was losing this one, he was beginning to back down when he saw something that convinced him otherwise - Trunks was crying.

"Yes, I do. And there's nothing you can do about it."

Gohan tried to weakly shove him away again but he couldn't, his anger was withering away, instead he was pulling at his shirt with his fists like he was trying to figure out with he wanted to hit him or hold him. Trunks pried Gohan's hands off his shirt, guiding him back down to the floor when his knees gave way under him as all of the adrenaline began to wear off.

As soon as they hit the floor, Gohan instantly threw his arms around him and began sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder. Trunks didn't say anything, just holding him tightly against him, though it didn't stop his own tears from falling down his face, albeit silently. It didn't matter how quiet he was going about it, Gohan knew that he was crying as well, feeling his own shoulder begin to get wet from them.

"I'm sorry... " choked Gohan.

"It's okay," said Trunks in response, finally feeling that he could safely reassure him now that he'd calmed down. His heart jumped when he remembered that he'd just confessed that he loved him. Feeling that he had nothing to lose, he made sure that he heard him this time. "I love you."

Trunks pulled back to face him, planting a kiss on his forehead; he didn't need to hear it back just yet, neither did he want to, not while he was so mentally unhinged - it wouldn't mean anything if he said it now. Gohan squeezed his eyes shut, feeling relief wash through him as he did it. His hands went straight up to his head, pulling him into a passionate kiss.

"You're going to be okay," whispered Trunks as he pulled back, bringing their foreheads together. Gohan nodded slightly against him, not having the energy to do much else.

Gohan stared back at him, losing himself in those bright, tear-filled blue eyes and finding comfort in them. He then caught sight of something red on his face, startled when he realised that it was blood - his own blood. He pulled his arm back, seeing drying blood on Trunks' face, neck and even in his hair, as well as all over his hands. Then he remembered the cuts on his arm, shocked at how much he'd got carried away with them; the inside of his lower left arm had been hacked so much that some of it was still bleeding after all this time.

"Can you stand up?" asked Trunks.

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

"You need a shower. Do you want me to leave while you - "

"No!" said Gohan quickly, not wanting Trunks to ever leave his side again. "Stay, I don't mind. I think you could use one yourself." Gohan pointed at the blood all over him.

"Okay."

They stepped into the shower after removing their clothes. Trunks felt uneasy when he saw fresh purple bruises all over Gohan's hips, as well as nail marks and scratches all over his backside and the base of his spine where his tail was. He just held him as they stood under the water, finding it soothing. When Gohan moved his left arm from being sandwiched between them both, the hot water stung all of the cuts horribly. Trunks heard him hiss with pain.

"Do you want me to?" he asked, taking Gohan's arm gently. Gohan just nodded, nuzzling into his neck and ignoring how much the hot water just made his cuts feel ten times worse. Trunks softy ran him fingers over them, washing all the dry blood away and also helping to close the ones that were still open. At first, Gohan tensed when he touched them, his cuts feeling both painful and embarrassing, but after a few minutes, he relaxed and left him to it.

They must have been stood there for a good half hour, Gohan helping Trunks get all of his blood out of his hair. Gohan felt completely drained of energy as they stepped out and dried off. They put their clothes back on temporarily just to get back to Trunks' room. They were surprised that nobody heard them screaming at each other in the bathroom earlier on, seeing as it was about 2am.

Once they got back, Gohan stopped hiding his arm away from anyone who would accidentally see it, both of them throwing their dirty clothes aside and putting their pajamas on instead.

"They need covering in case they open again while you sleep," said Trunks, referring to his arm. "I need to get a first aid kit."

"Don't go," muttered Gohan instantly. Trunks led him to sit down on his bed before kissing him softly.

"Close your eyes and count to a hundred," he said reassuringly. "I'll be back before you finish."

Gohan did exactly that, controlling his breathing at the same time and keeping his eyes shut tight so that he could no longer see anything that could upset him. He got to forty-seven by the time Trunks got back. He sat down next to him on the bed, silently tending to his wounds. Gohan hated how quiet the room was, but couldn't bring himself to say anything either, feeling too drained.

He felt awkward; he'd just let out some of his darkest secrets, and although Trunks reassured him in the moment that everything was okay, Gohan still didn't believe him. Everything felt tense between them.

"Trunks?"

"Yeah?"

Trunks didn't look at him, making Gohan's heart sink even lower. He'd just finished disinfecting his cuts and was now dressing his arm with a bandage.

"Are you okay?" he asked, that annoying lump still hanging in his throat. He didn't really mean to push him away and say all of those hurtful things to him, but now he was worried that in his anger, he'd damaged their relationship.

"Not really," sighed Trunks honestly with an uneasy smile. "But I will be." He secured the bandage before letting his arm go; then he did look at Gohan. He was a lot calmer, his expression was still very remorseful and dreary. He heard him sigh - Gohan was scared, scared that he'd really hurt him.

Trunks wasn't going to lie to himself, Gohan did hurt him; not for cheating, since he didn't necessarily have a choice in the matter, or for the people his saiyan half had allegedly murdered - it was because he completely shut down and turned against him, giving up after everything they'd fought for, along with all the cruel things he said to him in his raw, hysterical state. But none of that compared to how he felt about him - that wasn't the real Gohan back in the bathroom that tried to get Trunks to hate him, it was the monster that Cell had been trying to turn him into. Cell had twisted Gohan's way of thinking, possibly beyond repair by now.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," said Trunks, taking Gohan's hand into his. "Since you and Nita stay here most nights, why don't you just move in here with me?"

"Wh- really?" Gohan seemed to perk up a little.

"Yeah," said Trunks with a smile. Gohan could tell that it was a genuine offer by the way he was looking at him.

Gohan just leaned in to kiss him, which was received happily - until Gohan started moving his hand up the inside of Trunks' thigh; he didn't know why, it was like it was hardwired into him to automatically show gratitude this way. Trunks ended up stopping him, taking his hand off his leg and holding it instead.

"Gohan... you don't have to prove anything to me," he said softly.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I do that... "

"It wouldn't feel right like this."

"How will I know when it _is_ right?" asked Gohan truthfully. He didn't know the difference between wrong and right when it came to sex - then again, his first partner wasn't exactly the best of choices.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then you'll know when it's right," said Trunks with a comforting smile. He pulled Gohan's head to his shoulder and put his arms around him; Gohan actually felt relieved that he was turned down. If he was honest, Cell left him feeling sore and a little self-conscious, especially since he left little purple marks all over the lower half of his body. His body needed a break and a good rest, for the sake of his mental health more than anything else.

"Nita... I can't believe I almost left her... " said Gohan as he sat up again; he couldn't believe that he thought she'd be better off without him, the depressive part of his brain still did, but Gohan had the strength to ignore it again.

"She'll be wondering where you are," reassured Trunks.

"I want to see her... I need to -"

"You need rest," said Trunks firmly. "She'll be there waiting for you in the morning, but you're in no state to be looking after her right now."

"Yeah. I guess it'd freak her out if I'm not calm." Gohan was calmer than he was before, but he was still trembling slightly out of exhaustion. "I need sleep," he said, covering his face with his hands for a second and letting out a huge sigh.

"You and me both," laughed Trunks, his hangover leaving him feeling drained. They both stood up as Trunks went to lie down under the covers; Gohan joined him quickly, feeling lost again because he wasn't near enough to him. He nuzzled into Trunks' neck and let his eyes close, the pain in his arm was slowly fading as he felt himself finally relax after such a harrowing few hours.

Tomorrow was day one... again.

 **Please Review!**


	23. Yours

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Time for something completely different - this entire chapter had been written in first person from Gohan's POV.**

 **CHAPTER 23: YOURS**

The next few weeks were hard. The morning after it all happened, I think I must have stayed in bed for the whole day. I can't even remember what I was thinking about, in fact the next few days after that were a complete blur. I can't really remember anything that I did.

I lost a lot of weight because apparently I just refused to eat anything. When I did finally start eating, it was little things like toast and soup; the first time I tried, I brought it all back up again ten minutes later; it was safe to say that I learned my lesson after that one - I'm never not eating again.

I hadn't seen or heard from Cell since it happened. I can't say that I'm entirely surprised there... I guess he was only after two things after all - a decent fuck and to make feel like shit again.

Well it worked, you hateful, controlling motherfucker.

You got what you wanted. I ended up throwing every bit of my recovery away and ended up cutting myself again - because of _you._ But here I am... still. It's February 22nd, exactly a month after it happened. It's been slow and frustrating, but I'm more or less back on my feet again. And do you know why, Cell? It was my daughter that got me out of it alive this time. Not you. Not you pretending to care about me, or pretending to help me. There may be a part of you in her, but she'll never be yours, not really. You never gave a fuck about anybody but yourself, why would you start now?

I don't think the full extent of my breakdown was on the house grapevine, or at least I hope not anyway. My family and friends knew that I was going through a rough patch with my depression, but nothing more. I kept myself to myself, really. Like I usually did.

This living room was as quiet as it usually was, Nita was wriggling around on her back after I finished changing her. She kept looking over to the window, she always loved all of the light coming from outside. Then she turned back at me and she smiled, and despite the fact that I still felt a little crappy, it made a stupid looking grin appear on my face.

She started smiling a couple of weeks ago when I was just getting the hang of taking care of myself again; I'd just finished feeding her, she was looking around the room and then she just gazed back up at me with a lopsided smile as if she'd just seen something awesome. That beaming look on her little face has kept me going, made me stronger. I could look after her on my own again now.

"What are you grinning at, huh?"

Nita's smile just got even wider, then I placed my hand on her tummy and tickled her. I cooed at her a little more and then a new sound came out of her mouth, only for a second. I kept tickling her and she did it again for a little longer this time. It was the most innocent thing I'd ever heard; she was laughing. It was a little giggle that came straight from her stomach; when I did it again, I could feel her chuckling under my fingers.

I think I just died.

I picked her up, cradling her in my arms, her hands started flailing around as well as her legs. She ended up punching the air for a while before suddenly shoving her whole fist into her mouth. I love you, you crazy little thing.

After holding her for a while I put her on the floor again, giving her a couple of soft toys to throw around and beat up. I actually made myself a fucking sandwich - two, in fact... that might not seem like the greatest achievement ever, but for me, it was another step forwards. It had meat and salad on it and some kind of sauce. Either way, when I bit into it, I suddenly realised that I was _starving._

I guess I had Trunks to thank for my sandwich making skills, or rather, the part where I get off my ass to make said sandwich... He was there constantly, from when he found me in the bathroom right up to now. I was practically catatonic for about four days after I tried and failed to rip his heart out of him in the bathroom. Rather than just leave me, he brought me back to his room, tended to my wounds and made me feel safe. I vaguely remember coming on to him when he asked me to move in with him. I'm actually glad he turned me down... mentally, I wasn't ready for that, not after what I did with Cell only a few hours before.

As far as I know, he told my parents that I was sick as well as depressed. They stayed away for those first few days where reality seemed to escape me, and I was glad; space was the one thing I really did need. I don't even think I was breathing if it was even possible. I must have slept a lot since I don't remember much. But what I do remember was watching Trunks with Nita, taking care of her when I couldn't. My parents helped with her a much as they could. They took her for a few nights, but even then, Trunks never took a break from looking after me, he never left me for a second. Even when it was just us, he'd hold me in his arms all night. He'd talk to me until I found the strength to finally talk back.

Even with him spending all of his time with me, everyone just assumed that we were just close friends, especially with what Trunks went through when he lost the Gohan in his timeline. Only our dads new that we were together... though it didn't really feel like we were together right now. Sure, he held me, gave me a peck on the forehead now and again... but Trunks hadn't even kissed me since that night.

I know I shouldn't really be asking for anything more than what he was already giving me. Being depressed and suicidal was one thing, but trying to take care of somebody in that state of mind took something else altogether. Now that I'm more or less myself again, I keep trying to come up with reasons why he was avoiding any kind of romantic contact with me...

Was he waiting for me to make a move? It didn't go down well last time since I was in bed with someone else not even two hours beforehand. Maybe he thought that I was still too fragile for anything like that.

Maybe he was mad at me.

I did cheat on him after all. Even though I went along with what Cell wanted because he was threatening Trunks and Nita, it still didn't justify the fact that I enjoyed it. He didn't rape me, not that time at least. It also made me realise how different they both were when it came to sex; Trunks would treat me as an equal, no matter how we were going about it. When I was with Cell that night, I'd forgotten how fucking sadistic he was; those bruises on my hips were there for a whole week afterwards. I would probably consider myself a bit of a masochist, but looking back, I was always beneath him, figuratively speaking. I was never going to be on equal terms with somebody so vain with an ego the size of Mars, was I?

I _want_ to make a move, but it's like I've forgotten how to. How do I even do this without it being seedy? I've never had a real boyfriend before... it kind of helped that we'd slept together before. At first, obviously, it was just sex, a one night stand that I thought would never happen again. Do we make love now? It feels like there's no difference, but there is at the same time. Despite being completely shattered into pieces, I still remember the moment when he told me that he loved me.

I didn't want him to at the time, that was the last thing I needed to hear. He confessed his feelings while I was on the brink of suicide, after tearing into him like I did. I haven't said it back, though. I just can't win with this guy... I don't know what he's feeling for me right now. He hasn't said it to me since then.

Why the fuck aren't you looking at me?

* * *

The next evening, we were all gathering for a much anticipated party. It was February 23rd - Bulma's birthday. And as ever, it was time for one of her elaborate celebrations, though everyone this time around felt that a party was what was needed after the past year.

I'd just finished showering and got dressed into some dark jeans and a long-sleeved navy shirt which covered my still healing cuts; they still hadn't faded entirely just yet, and neither did I want any awkward questions about where they came from since everyone was going to be there tonight. I let my towel-dried, long black hair hang over my right shoulder as usual, but I couldn't find my hair tie anywhere - I'm sure those things get beamed to another dimension or something. I made my way back to Trunks' room.

As soon as I went in there and closed the door, he had his back to me... and he didn't have his shirt on. My hormones seriously needed to calm the fuck down right now...

But at least I found my hair tie, shaking my head with a smirk when I saw it holding Trunks' hair back. That was something I hadn't seen for a while since he cut his hair. It grew quickly since. All Trunks was wearing were his pants, I felt my heart start to speed up out of excitement, but I was willing it to stop before I pounced on him like a freak. I probably had the libido of a regular sixteen year old, then I remembered that I _am_ sixteen. I do forget that sometimes... I feel so much older.

I walked forwards as Trunks still had his back to me. He was trying to get his shirt out of a knot; I took a chance, sliding my arms around his bare waist, resting my head on his shoulder. We were more or less the same height now, so it was fun to be able to do this. His skin was warm under my hands, still soft as ever.

"You good with knots?" he asked, responding to me by resting his head against mine. Thank God for that...

"Do you really have to put that on?" I replied quickly, holding my breath in case I just made things awkward. I felt him let out a chuckle.

"Not yet," he answered. I unintentionally held him tighter, closing my eyes.

"And by the way... " I carefully yanked out the loosely tied band from Trunks' hair, watching his it fall to his shoulders again. "That's mine."

"I didn't see your name on it," teased Trunks. I let go of him to tie my hair back, and about time too - it was fucking annoying me. He turned around, I was trying not to stare at his torso too much - and failing... "It's getting really long again."

"Yeah, I think it needs cutting," I said, my voice was a little higher than usual. If that wasn't a giveaway I don't know what is. Trunks came forwards and reached around behind me, gently pulling my hair over my right shoulder to where it usually hung. I ended up going for his in return, tidying it up, even though I thought it looked better when it was messy. Shut up, hormones.

When I was done, I brought my hand slowly down to his chest and down his side, trying to give him a more than obvious signal that I was completely ready for anything, even looking him in the eyes as I did it. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, which made me feel a little nervous.

Instead of pushing things further, I let go of him, taking the knotted blue shirt from his hands and sitting on the edge of the bed. How the fuck do you knot up a shirt like this?!

"You're really going to where this thing? It's crumpled to shit," I laughed.

"Sorry _mom_ , " he taunted, coming closer. Now I was receiving Trunks' sarcastic sense of humor, not managing to hold back another laugh since I loved it so much. I felt like a little kid - I seemed to laugh at anything that came out of his mouth whether it was funny or not. I got the giggles every time I was having a conversation with him. I felt normal again.

"Do you not have anything else on your chairdrobe?" I asked, referring to the chair across the room that had the majority of Trunks' clothing on it.

"I don't know, probably," he shrugged lazily. "I'm not used to owning so many clothes..."

"You'd rather be naked?" That just slipped out, I swear...

"I don't think it's _that_ kind of party, I'm afraid," he said with a smirk.

"That's a real shame," I said, subtly pressing on those last two words.

I gave up trying to loosen up this stupid shirt, tossing it aside. That was when I finally noticed that Trunks was standing right in front of me - like, _right_ in front of me. The button of his jeans was literally about three inches away from my face. "Nice jeans," I said smoothly, trying to keep himself from tearing them off him where he stood.

"These old things?" he said dryly with a smile as he looked down at him. He's flirting with me... shit. What the hell do I do now?!

I ended up just following the very instincts that I was suppressing. I looked up at Trunks' face with lust-filled eyes and bit at the hem of his jeans slowly, before shifting upwards slightly to gently kiss his lower stomach. Trunks was holding back on me all this time... he was waiting for me to initiate things. Why the hell didn't I do this sooner?

Just as I hooked his fingers into his jeans, Trunks pushed me back on to the bed none too gently, taking me by surprise. I was so sure that I was smiling like an absolute moron, biting on my own lip pretty hard as he put his knees on either side of my hips as I lay down on his back under him.

He put his hands down on the bed, leaning over me - I was so sure he felt me harden against him rather quickly since he was smirking at me. I wanted so much to happen in that moment, I wanted to put my hands on him, but I stayed where I was, lying down, just about managing keeping my hands to myself as Trunks brushed his nose against mine, lingering just millimeters away from my mouth. I resisted, but I didn't freeze; I didn't want him thinking that I didn't want this. I was trying not to kiss him as I wanted to see what he would do - and I had this burning feeling that he was purposely dragging it out to torment me.

I kept still as he came closer to my parted lips, feeling his teeth gently bite down on my bottom lip. My heart was threatening to burst out of my chest, adrenaline surging through every part of me. Trunks finally kissed me after all this time, so tenderly I hardly felt it at all; a quivering breath escape me, he ground his hips downwards a little. I arched my chest up, letting out a vocal response.

As much as I was enjoying the attention, he was _torturing_ me, and on purpose. I could feel him smiling above me even through they were barely touching. I kept my eyes closed, gasping when I felt a tongue tracing across my bottom lip before finally sliding into my mouth. I welcomed it with a moan, instantly returning it and kissing him as if I hadn't seen him in years.

* * *

"Shake a leg, Trunks! Party's starting!" shouted Krillin from outside as he walked past.

Krillin didn't know what was actually going on, and neither did I, really.

Trunks was under the covers so that I couldn't see what he was doing, not that I needed to see anyway. I could _feel_ everything that he was doing to me, chewing on my lip trying to stay quiet as he sucked harder. That last one got a strangled growl out of me. He'd been down there for a while, subduing me to more wonderful torture. I was having a hard time keeping myself motionless, but I forced my hips to stay still - from what I could feel, it could have gone horribly wrong if I did move. I think he'd taken all of me in at once from what I could tell.

But what came next forced a loud, foreign sound out of me. I felt a lubricated finger slide into me suddenly, a wave of electricity washed over me. I had to turn my head to the side and bite into the pillow to stop anyone from hearing me. A second finger followed, then a third, thrusting in and out of me, massaging in just the right place until my entire body tensed, and I emptied himself down his throat. I released the pillow from my teeth, turning my head to the center again as I rode out my orgasm. To me, that felt like it lasted hours, but I think it was only about fifteen minutes, even with him messing around beforehand - it's been a while.

As I came floating back down again, I caught sight of messy lavender hair popping out from under the covers. Trunks climbed up to me again and kissed me passionately. His lips were sticky and I also noticed the salty taste of his tongue. Tasting myself on someone else was getting less weird the more I did it.

I sighed contently as we pulled apart a little, brushing our noses together lovingly.

"I guess I know what really makes you unwind," whispered Trunks teasingly.

"A good blowjob?" I joked bluntly, making Trunks laugh and start kissing me again; I never knew I had such a way with words... I pulled back after a few more seconds, staring back up into his eyes. "I love you... "

I managed not to physically laugh at how that slipped out about 80 seconds after oral sex... but even so, I saw his smile get wider.

"I love you too," he said, finally, making me relieved, but also giddy. We kissed again for a few seconds before sitting up, and I was still giggling to myself.

"So... that shirt you needed."

"Yeah... " he said, getting up to look for one as I fixed his pants again. Trunks just pulled out his favourite black tank top and threw it on before turning around to me again, gesturing at me with a 'will this do' kind of look. "So let me get this straight, is it _me_ that you love or the blowjob?"

"Well... both," I laughed. I knew he wasn't going to let that one go... We smiled at each other, I knew for a fact that my face was turning bright red. "That was the worst confession ever!" I said, my face must have been a fucking picture...

"Why?"

I don't know, because I just came into your mouth and then said that I loved you right after? I can honestly see how that looked, but I meant every word of it... I love him. I'm sure of it now. I don't know when exactly I fell for him, but I've fallen pretty hard.

We ended up at the party about ten minutes later, sure it was fun but the events of the past few years only revealed to me that I was extremely socially awkward.

Nita was being handed around the room like the best little parcel in the world. She was more or less behaving herself, but I couldn't help but crack a smile when she threw up on Vegeta while my dad was holding her; that's my girl!

I said hello and engaged in a lot of small talk with people, a lot of them avoided asking me too many questions. I know they meant well, but some of them were acting as if depression was contagious or something. I hung around with Jeice a lot of the time, laughing at how drunk he was getting by the hour. My mom and dad offered to take care of Nita so I could 'enjoy myself'. But as the night went by, I found myself staring over at Trunks more and more. And he was staring back. A lot.

He gave Bulma a hug, from only lip reading over the music and chatter he was wishing her a happy birthday. After he let her go, he stood against the wall, looking like he was mingling with people, but he was looking right at me. He smiled at me like he was containing a laugh, a laugh that I obviously caught off him. I bit my lip to stop myself from letting it out.

Trunks looked away, talking to Yamcha for a couple of minutes before looking back at me again. He had a glint in his eye that made my pulse race. I ended up standing up and walking out of the room before I showed myself up with how red my face was going.

"Hey kid... g-got another beer. Y-you want one?" slurred Jeice as he staggered past me.

"Have another on me," I laughed. I don't think alcohol was the wisest thing for me to be consuming right now.

"Oh okay! You have fun... we-we all have fun!"

I laughed as Jeice collapsed back into the room, Trunks managed to swerve past him on the way out as he came towards me. We were alone again at last.

"Stop staring," I said firmly, not holding back a flirty smirk.

"You started it," he responded, giving me a sweet, lingering kiss to torture me even more. I slid my arms around his shoulders while his did the the same around my waist. I could feel something poking at me through our clothes; coupled with that look in his eyes... he was really horny. I actually started to feel nervous, but in a nice way.

* * *

I wasn't sure what the hell was going on in the outside, I could hear Jeice and the other Ginyu's yelling in the corridors. It was about 2am, everyone was pretty drunk. But the one thing I was sure of was what I was doing right now. And I definitely wouldn't have felt secure enough if the door wasn't locked with those guys wreaking havoc. From what I could tell now, they'd moved onto the grounds outside the building.

I thrust into him pretty hard once more, stopping so I could catch my breath. We'd been going for a while, and if Trunks didn't do what he did before the party, then I wouldn't have lasted very long this time around. He looked up at me, panting and shuddering. I leaned down over him to kiss him, even his lips were trembling. My leaning over only pushed me in even deeper if it was possible.

"Don't stop... " he panted. I teased him, moving my hips slowly and grinding against him where he liked it the most. I got some more beautiful sounds out of him as his eyes fell shut again. My tail coiled around his leg instinctively.

I increased my movements, leaning over again to kiss the mark I gave him that was still on his neck. I guessed that it was permanent since I gave it to him weeks ago. It'd faded to a crescent shaped pink mark that was only really noticeable to those that knew what it meant. He started writhing under me, getting louder and tensing as I hit him harder. I had him now...

Something smashed outside and there was a lot of cheering going on. It distracted us enough to start laughing at what they were saying, but not enough for me to stop. Trunks was chuckling to himself.

"What the hell are they doing out the- "

I grabbed hold of what was grinding into my stomach with my right hand, which put a stop to him being completely distracted. His hands were raised over his head, clutching to the bed sheets. He got louder, turning his head to the left and completely bearing his mark to me. I bit into him as I started getting closer to the edge, still stroking him with one hand. He was trying to say something to me, but he wasn't making much sense as I started pounding him with everything I had. The bed frame was hitting the wall. As far as I could tell, he was telling me to go faster... well - okay.

His legs locked around me and I felt him tense, coming onto his own stomach as I kept thrusting. I watched that gorgeous expression on his face more than anything as I kept stroking him until he was completely dry. I let go of him, losing myself completely. After a few more thrusts, my orgasm hit me like train, not meaning to growl into his ear so loud as I came. But he circled his arms around me lovingly as I rode it out before collapsing on him.

I think I just died again...

Trunks kissed my shoulder and let me rest on him for a few minutes before I finally found the strength to lift my head up. That entire experience left my head spinning. In a good way. I wasn't used to being on top, we'd only done it like this a few times. If I was honest, I preferred it when he was on top. Not because I was used to it after all that time with you-know-who, but just because I liked it more. I think Trunks preferred being on top anyway, but it was fun to shake things up once in a while.

I kissed him, not holding back an off-putting giggle. I finally pulled out of him, a sticky substance following me out and onto the bed sheets, not that I cared much. I could've stayed here forever. I'd only just realised that my stomach was sticky with it too since I collapsed on Trunks. Oh well. There was more smashing and what could only be described as yodeling outside, making us both laugh. I finally rolled off him and peeked out of the curtain, the Ginyu's were going crazy out there. I turned back on my side to face Trunks, who was staring at me oddly.

"What?" I quizzed nervously.

"I love you," he said with a smile. And for once, I reciprocated.

"I love you too."

I kissed him for probably the millionth time that day, it was as if we were making up for the entire month that we hadn't kissed at all. We just lay there, gazing at each other, our noses were still touching. He was stroking my shoulder. He had one of his hands under the pillow supporting his head like it always did. I just realised how lucky I was. This guy was fucking beautiful... how the hell didn't I see it long before we got together?

Well, I suppose I did in a way; I had such a huge crush on him when I was eleven... I think that was also when I had my first hunch that I was into guys.

I wanted to say something to him, I had a burning question to ask him, but I didn't know how to ask without sounding stupid or naive.

"What's up?" he asked softly, his fingers gently stroking through my hair. It was as though he could tell that I was meaning to say something.

"Was that... um... " Fuck you, voice. Fuck you! Why won't you work when I want you to?

"Hm?"

"Was that what making love is supposed to be like?" Oh yeah... so naive. He seemed to find it cute anyway.

"I think so," he answered.

"How can you tell?" I think we did... I wasn't entirely sure but sex with him felt so different to what I was used to.

"You were nervous... " he said, stroking my hair still. I wasn't sure what he meant for a few seconds, but it soon clicked and I nuzzled into the crook of his neck, sighing contently. I did have a habit of abandoning myself, trying to forget who I was, where I was and who I was with. But I was there this time, properly. And I was absolutely terrified. It was like I'd never done this before.

I ended up giggling like an idiot, circling my arms around his waist and pulling him closer to me into another kiss. Then he pulled back with that sexy, devious little smile.

"If you're still not sure... I could show you," he whispered suggestively against my lips. I was so sure he felt me shiver.

"Yeah?"

That was literally all I could force out of my mouth before I was pushed onto my back and he was on me. Now he had me. For the next hour or so, he made love to me. I could definitely describe it as that. It wasn't like anything I'd imagined really, I thought it was like in the movies where it was slow and tender with all sorts of other crap that was associated with it, but it was different. Life lesson for me - movies aren't documentaries.

It was intimate, intense and also a little rough, but I was fine all the way through because he was right there with me. I felt so ready for sleep afterwards through. I dozed off in his arms at around 3.30am when all the noise stopped outside.

I'm sorry if this isn't how you wanted things to turn out, Cell. But I'm not yours anymore.

 **Tell me if I should do more of these POV chapters. That was actually pretty fun to write! And don't worry, Cell will be returning with a vengeance.**

 **Please Review!**


	24. Knives and Scissors

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Sorry for the wait... reached a brick wall with this. Hope you all had a great holiday!**

 **CHAPTER 24: KNIVES AND SCISSORS**

It was 1:45 in the morning. Gohan had taken Nita out of the bedroom since she still wasn't settling. She'd been inconsolable for hours now.

"Sshh... it's okay. I know it's horrible."

Nita had woken up sick three days before. Her temperature was high and she was very congested. Bulma told Gohan that she had a heavy cold. Her first, in fact. Gohan just held her, not giving up or handing her over. Any help offered to him by his parents he turned down. He wasn't going to leave her like this, not for a second. He left poor Trunks to finally get some sleep.

Nita continued to cry, though by the sounds of it, she was beginning to tire from it. Her voice cracked and sounded wheezy. Gohan hoped that her next feed would finally get her to sleep, she hadn't slept properly since it first hit her.

After walking around the living room while feeding her for another half an hour, she finally dropped off against his chest. Gohan sighed with relief and sat down delicately, being careful not to wake her again. He felt himself dropping off as well, not really caring that his shoulder was soaked in tears and mucus. He was just glad that she could finally rest and heal - and so that he could get some of his energy back without having to resort to drinking coffee... he hated the taste of it. He felt himself sink into a relaxing calmness, enjoying the silence of the room.

"What's wrong with her?"

Gohan knew that he'd been around for a while watching him, ignoring it and still hoping that he was in that weird place between sleeping and dreaming, but unfortunately not. Cell was standing by the window, gazing out of it into the night.

"What are you doing here?" he asked groggily. This was the last thing he needed.

"Why was she crying so much?" quizzed Cell again.

"She's sick," answered Gohan.

"Surely screaming yourself silly isn't the way to go about things."

"She's ten weeks old, it's just her way of letting me know that something's wrong."

"How long was she crying for? Hours by the looks of the circles under your eyes. I'm surprised you haven't asked for help."

"It's called parenting... " said Gohan, pressing on the words. Cell wasn't affected by them, but Gohan didn't expect it to miraculously give him a conscience.

"Is she... " Cell stopped himself from finishing that sentence, not even knowing where it came from.

"Is she what?" quizzed Gohan. Cell took to staring out of the window again.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Huh?" Gohan meant to say yes but couldn't help but be confused over Cell's supposed concern. "Yeah, it's only a cold."

"How come she got sick?"

"It's normal to get sick now and again. It's actually good for you. It helps build your immune system."

"And all you can do about it is comfort her?" asked Cell, actually turning around this time to look at them. Gohan noticed a look in his eyes that he's never seen before as he looked at Nita, who was still sleeping peacefully against him; he looked pained, yet confused.

"Yeah, she's got to fight it herself, hasn't she? How else is she going to grow strong?"

"How can you comfort someone in that much pain... "

"What's wrong with you?" said Gohan, genuinely worried about Cell for some reason; even after everything that had happened between them, that troubled stare made him feel concerned.

"Nothing... " said Cell automatically. In all honesty, he didn't know himself whether anything was particularly wrong or not. Gohan held his breath, not removing his eyes from the android before he asked him something he'd never thought would come into his head.

"Do you want to hold her?"

"No," he answered, again spontaneously. Gohan was sure that he was on to something here. He pushed himself up slowly and delicately with Nita in his arms, being careful not to wake her as he stood up. He walked towards Cell slowly, who stayed where he was wondering what he was doing.

Cell was feeling something he'd never felt before, but he couldn't describe it either. He didn't know whether he was comfortable with it, feeling confused. He had so many instincts built into his head; his instinct to destroy her and his newer instinct to protect her were fighting each other. Gohan didn't know why he had a need for Cell to acknowledge Nita more. He knew that Cell was an android and that he existed to kill, but they were forever connected through Nita whether they liked it or not.

"At least hold her hand?" he said carefully, holding her close in case he lashed out. Cell took a long while to respond, not removing his eyes from her; the android had to admit that it was easier being around Nita when she was asleep, he couldn't take that curious, innocent gaze she had whenever she saw him.

"I can't."

"Try... "

Gohan saw him raise his hand, but it stopped halfway to her. It was like he couldn't physically touch her without thinking that something was going to happen to him if he did - he was scared. In a last ditch effort, Gohan carefully switched arms, holding Nita with one and slipping his hand into Cell's. The android didn't resist him, being used to his touch. Gohan brought the back of his hand to graze against Nita's. He felt him flinch as soon as it happened, but when Gohan let go of him, he was doing it himself - Nita suddenly curled her tiny hand around Cell's thumb in her sleep.

"She's so small," he said, getting used to her soft skin and iron grip.

"Do you want to hold her?" asked Gohan again, noticing that Cell's hand stop trembling at least.

"She's sleeping."

"You've got this far."

"I'll hurt her," he said quietly.

"You won't, I promise."

Cell found himself responding to Gohan anyway as he brought her closer. The android would have described himself as quite highly intelligent and skilled in a number of different things - however, how to hold a baby wasn't one of them. He didn't know what to do. Gohan helped him as they clumsily exchanged her; he held Nita up until Cell seemed to be handling her properly. She was upright, resting her head on his shoulder. Gohan let go of her after a minute or so while Cell got used to it, not knowing whether he felt content by his daughter finally being held by her other parent or terrified by the fact that he knew more than most the unspeakable things that those very hands had done - and not just to him.

Nita's tail coiled around Cell's wrist, which surprised them both. Gohan would have thought she'd be distressed by it all, but in fact in doing that, Nita was showing that she trusted him. Whilst Gohan was a complete natural right from the start, Cell looked and felt quite awkward with her, holding Nita like he was trying to be as gentle as he possibly could - he really _was_ scared of hurting her.

"Are you okay?" asked Gohan, ignoring how close they were getting. He was actually readying himself to catch Nita; Cell looked like he was about to drop her and run.

"I don't know." Cell flinched slightly when she began wriggling, still getting his head around the fact that this tiny, strange little creature was real. Miraculously, she was still asleep.

"That's normal, don't worry."

Cell remained silent, getting a little more confident. Whereas Gohan had taken to stroking her back when he held her, Cell's hands were frozen, refusing to move in case it caused her distress. He was getting used to the way she felt and smelled. Her body was warm and soft... and tiny. He could feel the thin wisps of hair on her head tickle his chin. He felt her heart beating under his fingers... but he was uncomfortable with the startling realisation that he was beginning to feel something for her.

He finally moved, signalling that he wanted to give her back. The process went a lot smoother this time, Gohan was obviously better at this than he was as he scooped her up into his arms as if she wasn't a live grenade. Cell watched as Gohan cradled her, finally taking his hand off Nita, but caressing Gohan's arm as he took his hand back.

"Why are you in here, then?"

"Thought I'd give Trunks a break from all the screaming."

"Hm, still fucking him then, are you?" asked Cell maliciously, making Gohan roll his eyes as he got comfortable on the sofa again. Gohan wasn't too surprised - every time he thought he had a shot at changing him, he'd always attempt to throw it back into his face. Though this time Cell seemed to be trying to change the subject after that whole experience rather than hurt his feelings. "How is he finding it? Raising someone else's child?"

"Will you just stop? I've no energy for this shit... "

"I'm surprised _he_ hasn't knocked you up yet as well."

"I can't have anymore kids," said Gohan. "Not in that sense anyway. The birth was that horrendous that it cause a lot of damage."

"That's the result of something that should never have happened."

"Just go. I haven't slept for three days."

"Fine... if you don't want to hear what I've found out about this mysterious power source... " said Cell slyly, throwing him a smirk. Gohan's curiosity was peaked.

"What do you mean?" he asked, skeptic over his motives.

" _Now_ you're listening."

"Are you going to tell me or not?"

"No," said Cell.

"Why?"

"Because you're not ready to know yet."

"Know what?!" Gohan was getting irritated, but he was being careful not to wake Nita at the same time.

"The barriers are starting to break again. Once that happens, I can tell you."

"How long do we have?"

"Gohan?"

He couldn't remember when exactly he fell asleep, but Gohan opened his eyes lazily. He was still on the sofa with Nita sleeping on him. But when he was nudged gently again he opened his eyes to see Goku knelt down next to him.

"Urgh... " Gohan's head was heavy, that was by far not enough sleep for his liking, he only just registered that he was still lying on the sofa. "What time is it?"

"6.30."

"Wow, really?" he groaned. Nita was still sound asleep on him. As much as he wanted to get up, he didn't have the heart to wake her. "Four hours really doesn't feel like enough."

"At least she's resting now," said Goku, smiling at them both. "And I don't think I've seen you take five minutes since she got sick. Do you want me to get you something to eat?"

"I just want to sleep... "

"You can sleep when you've eaten. Are you sure you don't want me and your mother to take her for a while?"

"No, just leave her to sleep, she sounds better already," said Gohan, mostly talking about her deep breathing which sounded a lot less wheezy, but she was beginning to snore, which only made him smile again.

"I'll do you a deal, I'll get you something to eat and then I'll take her for a while. If she's sounding better then she'll go to sleep easier if she wakes up again."

Gohan sighed, then nodded after he thought about it. His head was killing him.

* * *

After Goku fed him what he could only describe as a five-course snack, Gohan felt more sleepy than ever now that he was full, now understanding Nita's tendency to nod off while she was eating. Gohan was playing a rather worrying scenario in his head; Goku had just informed him that he'd in fact covered for him.

Early that morning, Chi Chi was already awake with Haru, who was now 8 months old, as he was also suffering with a cold. Goku followed her out of the room just as she was about to knock on Gohan's door. Gohan knew that if she'd opened the door to find his room looking untouched for weeks, she'd be suspicious. He was partly pleased that he'd been back to tidy it up since his last encounter with Cell.

Gohan was surprised that she hadn't figured it out yet; he moved into Trunks' room a month ago and nobody had noticed, mostly due to the state he was in for all that time. Trunks had been keeping Goku up to date, who in turn kept Chi Chi and everyone else up to date. His mother had no reason to see him other than at meal times or whenever he had the strength to leave his room. Otherwise, she understood that he needed space since she knew how much she'd naturally just smother him.

Gohan wanted to tell Chi Chi that he was in a relationship... he just didn't know how to, and the longer he left it, the harder it got. They'd been together for two months now, sleeping together for a time before that; only Goku and Vegeta knew about it, not to mention Cell. From what Vegeta told Trunks about what marking each other meant as a saiyan, he knew that this was starting to get serious. He was scared of screwing it all up again - whenever Gohan had happiness within his grasp he felt that he always managed to screw things up without even trying. He was treading carefully, hence not telling anybody yet.

He made sure nobody was watching him when he opened the door to his and Trunks' room, assuming he was still asleep; it was still only 7am after all. After shutting the door, he only just registered the strangled whimpers coming from behind him. He turned around to find Trunks violently tossing and turning his head, clutching onto the covers with both of his hands.

Gohan found himself on autopilot, running over to the bed and climbing onto it, lying down behind Trunks to try and wake him as gently as he could; this was definitely the worst nightmare he'd seen him have.

"Trunks? Trunks, wake up!" he said firmly but quietly at the same time. Gohan was leaning over him. There was sweat dripping down his forehead as he started mumbling something repeatedly that sounded like a 'no'. Gohan gently shook him by his shoulder until he did wake up, startled by his surroundings and finding himself yelling at nothing. "Trunks, it's okay!"

Trunks was shaking uncontrollably as he caught his breath. Gohan didn't expect what came next as Trunks finally acknowledged where he was and looking around frantically before fixing his eyes on him - he burst into tears. Gohan pulled him into a tight embrace before he could curl up away from him and let Trunks cry on him.

"It's okay... you're okay," said Gohan softly. If Trunks held him any tighter he was going to start choking. It took him about ten minutes to calm down again, but Gohan simply just lay there and held him, waiting for him to say something.

"I found you again," he said in barely a whisper.

"Found me?"

"You were gone."

"It was a nightmare, I'm right here... "

"It's happened before. Twice. Who's to say it won't happen again?"

Gohan just held him tighter; the first time he was referring to was when he found the Gohan in his own timeline after he was killed by the androids. But he felt responsible for the second time since it was all his doing - Trunks was one of the people who found him after Cell killed him months ago. No wonder he was convinced that it was going to keep happening, especially with how suicidal he became after his depression took him over again.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't be crying over a stupid dream," said Trunks, wiping his face and pushing himself up to sit against the bed frame. He felt silly now that he was back in reality, it was no longer as raw to him as it was when he woke up, the majority of the nightmare was beginning to slip away from his memory again.

"Nightmares aren't something that kids have about monsters. You've been through hell, it's okay to be scared."

"I shouldn't still be afraid of the androids after all this time. I even killed them myself. But when I'm trapped in my head and I'm back in that place... I'm still fourteen, and I'm still standing in the rain with him lying face down on the ground not moving. I still get lost even now."

Gohan didn't know what to say, merely slipping his hand into Trunks' to try and snap him out of his darkening thoughts. He'd never seen him like this, nor had he ever described his future counterpart's death to him until now.

"I love you... " said Gohan innately. Trunks snapped out of his trance, looking at him with an unreadable expression that gradually softened as he put his arm around him to pull him closer. Gohan simply rested his head on his shoulder, sliding his arm around Trunks' waist.

"Have you slept?" asked Trunks, deciding to change the subject.

"A little in the living room. Dad has Nita now that she's feeling better."

"Why don't you get some sleep?" suggested Trunks, stroking his shoulder.

"I'm worried about you."

"I'm okay, you don't have to - "

"Hey, let me look after you for a change," said Gohan with a warm smile. Trunks smiled back, both of them sliding off the bed frame and lying down on their sides facing each other. Just as Gohan closed his eyes and settled down, he could feel his nose touching his. Trunks went in for a kiss quickly, sighing contently as it was received well. Gohan pulled him closer, sliding his tongue into his mouth and feeling a hand appear on his hip, the one he was laying on was tangled in his hair.

"I thought you wanted to sleep... "

"You started it," said Gohan playfully, taking in a dark, promiscuous stare that never failed to make his stomach do back flips. The hand on his hip slipped further behind him, squeezing his behind. Gohan bit his own lip, failing to suppress a flirtatious smirk. "Tire me out first?"

* * *

Trunks collapsed onto him once they'd finished, his energy completely zapped and still leaking from his body. The same could have been said for Gohan, who had his eyes closed as he came floating back down to earth again.

"Are you sure you've never done this boyfriend thing before?" panted Gohan. His cheeks were burning.

"Why? Am I that good?" asked Trunks, giving him a teasing smile before they both began laughing. He rolled off him and the lay face to face under the covers.

"How many people have you slept with?" quizzed Gohan.

"Nice tactful questioning there... "

"Come on, tell me."

"I've had two girlfriends. I thought I told you that anyway," said Trunks, not letting down his smile.

"Pff... and the rest, " scoffed Gohan sarcastically. "How many, I'm curious."

"A few... "

"How many's a few?"

"... Nine," said Trunks nervously.

"Whoa... that's including me, right?"

"Yeah... "

"Wow, you're not as innocent as you make out are you?" laughed Gohan. It somehow made him feel better about his own past.

"I went through a phase after I defeated the androids, okay?" he said, trying fruitlessly to defend himself.

"You were sleeping around?"

"Yeeeah... for a few months before I realised that it wasn't really worth it."

"You're just full of surprises," said Gohan lightheartedly. "I wasn't exactly fucking around, but you're right. It was never worth it."

"When did you realise?"

"When I got pregnant," he answered truthfully. He still felt weird whenever he said that. "It was a much needed slap in the face."

"It all worked out I guess," said Trunks. "You'd better not tell anybody by the way, you're the only person who knows."

"Besides those eight girls?"

Trunks suddenly leaned down to kiss him passionately to shut him up, getting so lost in it that they didn't hear the door open.

"Fucking hell!"

They broke apart instantly, sitting up a little to see Jeice standing at the doorway. Neither of them knew what to say to him... they supposed that they had to be caught at some point.

* * *

"Gohan!" chirped Jeice awkwardly as he walked into the kitchen. Gohan was hoping that he hadn't told anybody else what he saw. Jeice had graciously backed out of the room so that they could get dressed again.

"Don't act all awkward, you've caught me doing it before," laughed Gohan, trying to make light of the situation.

"Well yeah, and I've been trying to erase those occasions from my memory, but bloody hell!" Jeice didn't know whether he was happy, shocked or embarrassed at that moment. "So... how long has that been going on for?"

"A couple of months, I guess," said Gohan nervously, trying to glaze over the fact that they'd been dancing around each other way before that.

"So that's why nobody ever sees you two. He was doing _way_ more than taking care of you, huh?" teased Jeice, giving him a playful nudge with his elbow. Gohan couldn't conceal his widening smile. He seemed to be shy about it all. "Who else knows?"

"Just our dads, nobody else."

"Why the secrecy?" asked Jeice.

"I'm just scared of things going wrong. I've got a habit of screwing these things up... " he shrugged in response.

"Don't be scared of being happy, Gohan."

"I can't help it. Not with Cell still hanging around and still trying to come between us."

"Cell knows?!" cried Jeice, making Gohan regret blurting it all out.

"Yes, he knows. He's been keeping his distance, but I think that's to do with Nita more than anything else."

"Cell's scared of his own kid? Why? I didn't think someone like him would give a crap."

"He's good at hiding how he feels, but I know when he's afraid," said Gohan. "Cell has some of his own saiyan instincts, maybe not as strong as mine, but they're there. He's scared of loving her."

"Because he doesn't know the meaning of the word?"

"He feels something. I caught him with his hand out ready to destroy her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. I've never seen him hesitate to kill before," said Gohan, feeling more confused than ever over Cell's motives; him being in a coma for so long had caused the world to move on without him, no longer leaving him a place in Gohan's life. Gohan frustratingly covered his face with his hands, letting out a growl. "I just wish that... "

"What?"

"I wish she was Trunks' sometimes."

"Wishing gets you nowhere."

"She's as good as his anyway, I wouldn't have through the past month if it wasn't for him."

"I reckon somebody's in love... " he teased, giving Gohan a warm smile. Gohan just smiled back, and laughed; he didn't need to answer that.

* * *

Trunks went back into his room after showering, not realising he was being followed.

"So... this is where it all happens, hm?"

"Get out of my room... " snarled Trunks, not bothering to turn around.

"Always so rude," mocked Cell, shaking his head.

"He's not here and he doesn't want to see you."

"Is that a fact?"

"After the state you left him in last time?"

"And I'm assuming you were the one to piece him back together again," said Cell, walking towards him as he turned around. "You of all people should know when something is too broken to be fixed."

"Haven't you done enough?"

"Actually it's not him that I'm here for."

"Go away then," said Trunks dismissively.

"Make me," sneered Cell with a smug smirk on his face. Trunks didn't like how close he was getting to him, but didn't want to flare his ki to cause Gohan any distress. When Trunks said nothing back, the android laughed to himself. "I've been doing my homework lately, watching you all, getting to know you a little more."

Trunks remained silent, his eyes widening as he reached for a familiar looking knife that was left on this desk by the door.

"How did you... " Trunks cursed himself for giving away his blatant fear at the sight of it; it was the very knife that he was tortured with and scarred as a result - and it still had some of his blood on the blade.

"I found him in the otherworld, he's apparently always took a liking to cutting people open. He never cleaned this after he used it on you. Saiyan blood is a rare trophy to have these days isn't it? Especially that of royalty."

Trunks was frozen, the memories and the pain hitting him hard. He thought he's got past it, he'd been through far worse during his life, but this seem to stick to him for some reason.

"Turn around."

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

Cell was becoming impatient, though the sight of the knife in his hand was working wonders on him - he couldn't move. The android darted forward, taking the frozen saiyan and spinning him around, securing his wrist painfully behind him and pointing the knife against his back. Trunks was facing the window, struggling against him at first, but freezing solid again when he felt the knife push harder.

"I've been wondering. What frightens you the most, Trunks?" asked Cell. "Come on, you can tell me. Knives and scissors. What else?"

"What?" Trunks was confused, Cell wasn't really making any sense. It was like being isolated from Gohan for so long had made him become even more deranged - he had no reason left to control himself for.

"Being alone doesn't frighten you, since you've been alone for the majority of your life. You have my creator to thank for that one." While Cell appeared to be having an open discussion with himself, Trunks felt the knife dig into him a little harder. "Gohan scares you, doesn't he?"

"No," said Trunks straight away.

"Whatever... "

"Let go of me!" he yelled angrily, regaining some of his motor control. Cell took the knife and brought it around in front of him before dropping it on the floor where he could see it.

"I tried torturing Gohan with a knife once. He seemed to like it."

"Can I have my arm back?"

"You saiyans... I don't know what it is about you that drives me insane."

"Being killed by one?" said Trunks sardonically.

"You're even starting to to sound like Gohan now."

"Let me go... "

"Just as stubborn as he is too." Trunks stopped struggling again when he felt something that made him feel uncomfortable - Cell was playing with his hair. "This has grown back quickly, hasn't it?"

"Get off!" he growled, trying to move. He was beginning to wonder why he was suddenly so powerless - or maybe it was Cell that had grown stronger. He felt his hair being moved to the left away from his neck before feeling cold fingers trace over his skin until they met a crescent shaped scar.

"Gohan has the exact same scar in the same place. Of course... you saiyans claim each other with bite marks, don't you?"

"Then why - "

"Why didn't I mark Gohan first? I have no intention of 'mating' with him. I don't need a 'life partner', but he is useful for a lot of other things... isn't he?"

"You're sick... "

"Evidently... " said Cell smugly into his ear, not that Trunks could see his malicious smile. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Not here."

"I got that part. No matter, I've been wanting to try something."

"Try what?" asked Trunks nervously.

"You were unconscious when I did it to Gohan so I can't ask you if you reacted or not... "

"What are you talking about?" Cell just laughed quietly against his ear.

"I'm wondering if it causes him physical pain... if I do this."

Trunks was puzzled by what he meant, but he froze on the spot when Cell began kissing his neck - right on his mark. His senses kicked back in after a couple of seconds, going to turn around and deck him with his free arm, only for his moves to be anticipated by Cell, who grabbed his upper arm while still retraining the other behind his back.

Trunks didn't know whether it was causing Gohan any physical pain or not, but it was making him feel like he wanted to be sick. Having somebody else on him like this was causing a biological reaction of some kind, it was trying to get his body to move and get away from the situation but the human half of him refused to move at all out of shock.

"Well, it's clearly doing something to you at least," he said, a sinister laugh following as he sank his teeth into him. Cell was satisfied by the way he began to struggle and twitch. He bit harder, letting one of his arms go to trail his hand down his back. The last straw for Trunks was when that hand appeared on his backside; he managed to break free of him with one forceful movement.

He didn't know how or where his new found strength came from, his body seemed to be acting on instinct. Now his strongest gut feeling was telling him to find Gohan to see if he was okay. He didn't get very far when he was pushed up against the wall, held there by his wrists, one of which was bruised.

"You know, until Gohan came along and decided to offer himself to me, I've never experienced any kind of craving for flesh. It's true that you can't seem to stop once you've tasted it."

Trunks didn't hide the fact that he was scared by the way Cell was staring at him. He didn't say anything, just hoping that he'd go away. Trunks had always hoped that if he ever found himself in this kind of situation that he'd simply push them away and head for the hills, but he underestimated his natural defenses. _Why can't I_ move?

"I think I've found what scares you... " he said slyly, he was staring at bright, electric blue eyes that heavily contrasted to the dark brown ones that he'd become accustomed to. He liked the difference between them, finding it interesting. "I can't wait to taste you too... "

"Get bent," spat Trunks, not even meaning to say it. Cell came forwards, pressing himself against him and leaning in to kiss him. Trunks instantly turned away to avoid him, accidentally exposing his mark again.

"You're only making this easier for me," he said smoothly as he leaned in again, pressing the flat of his tongue against his mark and licking a path up his neck to his ear. Trunks ended up gasping loudly and squeezing his eyes shut. Cell pulled back, still holding him against the wall, when a wicked smile appeared on his lips. "You're wondering why you can't push me away aren't you?"

"Believe me, I'm trying to," said Trunks, his skin crawling as he felt more violated by the second.

"I've found what's been causing reality's collapse. It really is an invigorating power."

"You're using it?"

Cell finally let go of him, but Trunks didn't move after the startling realisation that Cell was indeed more powerful than all of them now; he clearly wasn't more powerful than Frieza though. Cell hadn't taken enough of it to change his appearance the way it had with Frieza. The amount of energy he had evidently hadn't changed Cell's appearance - but it had definitely altered his state of mind somewhat. He came across a little more unhinged rather than his usual collective manner.

"I could do anything to you right now, and you wouldn't be able to stop me," said Cell with an ominous smile that made Trunks feel extremely uncomfortable. He ran straight for the door but was caught and thrown back against the wall. His head hit it pretty hard, disorienting him for a few seconds, giving Cell his opportunity; he darted forwards, crashing their lips together in a violent, forced kiss, the android grabbed a handful of his hair to keep him from turning away.

Trunks was panicking, quickly finding his motor control again and tried to push him away, grunting with disgust as he felt his tongue forcing it's way into his mouth. He acted on the first instinct that came to him, biting him so hard that Cell pulled back instantly.

"Now this is what's been missing for me," said Cell, pacing in front of him as he wiped fresh blood from his lip. "Gohan stopped fighting it quite easily, but you? You are very interesting... "

"That was disgusting... " panted Trunks, trying to slow his heart rate down.

"I think I understand... you're older and supposedly wiser. And that's the difference. Gohan only ever knew _me_ to begin with, and so he doesn't resist. You're going to be harder to break, I can see that."

"It never works like that, Cell. You're just as naive as he is."

"Am I?"

"Gohan's first experience was also yours. Just because you had Gohan doesn't mean you can have anybody you want."

"You people... so complex."

"I don't see why that's so complicated."

"So if I'm behaving strangely going off my own experiences, does Gohan do it to? Does he still die a little inside if you do something nice for him? Deep down, Gohan only knows how to be treated like shit."

"I wonder where he got that from?"

"How about you? Are you a bit of a masochist too?"

"That's really none of your business... "

"Do you let him fuck you?"

"Go away!" yelled Trunks, getting angry with Cell's intrusive questioning. What was worse was that Cell was genuinely curious, he wasn't doing this just to get on his nerves, though that was proving to be a bonus.

"Are you going to let me?"

"What? No!"

"Hm... never mind," said Cell casually. "Seems that both you and Gohan aren't interested in what I have to say... "

"What do you know?" asked Trunks, the disgruntled look on his face still present.

"It's not time for you to know yet, but I will tell you this; you have about six weeks before everything goes to hell again. And I'm the only one who knows how to stop it."

 **Please Review!**


	25. Human

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 25: HUMAN**

"Are you okay?" asked Gohan quietly. It was dinner time later that day, and Trunks hadn't said a word since he walked into the room, picking at his food for the past twenty minutes.

He'd spent the rest of the afternoon shut away in his room, staring at the knife that was used on him months ago from his bed, as if he was teaching himself not to be afraid of it. Gohan was getting concerned, especially with that horrifying nightmare Trunks had that morning about him.

"I need to tell you something, but not here," whispered Trunks.

"Sounds serious... you're not pregnant are you?" joked Gohan. Trunks managed to let out a little chuckle at least.

"Um - no," he answered with a weak smile. They both discretely left the room and went around the corner where nobody could hear them.

"Trunks, what's wrong with you?" asked Gohan, putting his hands on his arms in a comforting manner.

Trunks didn't know where to start, but caught site of some red marks poking out from under Gohan's hair on his neck. He reached out and brushed some of his dark hair aside to reveal what looked like scratch marks on and around his mark. Their redness was quite prominent next to his usually pale skin.

"Where did this come from?"

"Oh... my mark was itching like crazy a few hours back. You ever get that?" Gohan saw his eyes widen slightly, but as he went to look at the hand caressing his neck, he saw something that unnerved him. "What happened to your wrist?" he asked, a sinking feeling appearing in the put of his stomach. A part of him knew what happened; Trunks' left wrist had bruises on it.

Trunks took his hand back quite quickly; Cell kissing his mark didn't cause Gohan any pain, but it made his own mark irritate him instead - it _did_ cause a reaction.

"Cell was in my room... " said Trunks finally. Gohan's eyes widened with worry.

"What? Did he hurt you?!" he asked frantically, pulling him closer by his arms.

"Not exactly... " he said carefully. He hadn't told him the whole story these past weeks; Cell had been bullying Trunks for a while, but it was never enough for him to risk worrying Gohan. Then Trunks realised that the android had been right all along about one thing - he _was_ scared of Gohan. Or Gohan's mentality if he ever said a word about the situation; but then again, it was Cell that persuaded Trunks that Gohan was too fragile to handle it.

"What did he want?"

"He sort of tried to... kiss me," said Trunks slowly, not knowing how to word it right. Gohan's eyes widened further. "That was why your mark was itching, he's been trying to scare me off."

"Is that the first time he's tried anything with you?"

"No... once before that. When he drugged me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Gohan, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I didn't want to worry you. I wanted to protect you from him. Anything else I could've taken from him to stop him getting to you, but today it was getting personal... "

"What? You mean he's been terrorizing you all this time?"

"Now and again, yeah. Like I said, he was just trying to separate us. I don't want to have to lie to you."

"What kind of things has he been doing? I haven't seen a scratch on you."

"Do you remember when I cut my hair?" said Trunks, trying not to remember it.

"Yeah... "

"It wasn't because I was tired of it. Cell jumped me in the kitchen and hacked it off."

"What?!"

Trunks was hoping to avoid the look of guilt that began to appear in Gohan's eyes. This was exactly what he didn't want to happen - for Gohan to believe that it was all his fault. He needed Gohan to start putting the blame where it belonged.

"I don't want you to blame yourself, you hear me? This is all him."

"I don't want anything to happen to you... "

"Nothing's going to happen to me. I'm staying whether he likes it or not," said Trunks, relieved that it was all out in the open. Gohan didn't react the way Cell told him he would, he seemed concerned, but otherwise perfectly stable.

"He came to me too. Early this morning," confessed Gohan. "He said that he discovered what was causing Hell to open... he didn't tell me what it was."

"He's using it's power. Whatever it is. Like how Frieza was using it, only Cell's being more controlling about it."

"Cell's using it?" Gohan ran his hand through his hair worryingly. "If he is there's no way he's not going to go back for more."

"What makes you say that?"

"Cell has an addictive personality. If he gets access to something like that then he'll get hooked, no matter how much he tries to hide it."

Trunks had no choice but to believe him, as much as he didn't like how close Gohan and Cell had got, it did become useful when trying to anticipate Cell's movements.

"He said that we have about six weeks until Hell breaks loose again. Then Frieza's going to come back and god knows what else!"

"We need to tell the others."

* * *

\- Nine Months Ago -

 _Gohan's wrists seemed to be healing pretty well despite their deliberate injuries. He almost did it that time, if only Cell hadn't found him so soon. It had been a week after his sixth suicide attempt in the past five months, and he was only just on his feet again, not that he wanted to be. He'd just managed to eat for the first time in days, not really enjoying having his energy back because he felt that he just wanted to stay in bed for the rest of his life._

 _He was sat in his living room, flicking through an old story book, trying to make that particular day go faster so that he didn't have to think about it. He heard Cell arrive at the door and walk into the room._

 _"I hope you're at least feeling a little better... I'm tired of babysitting you."_

 _"So leave. I don't want you to be here either," said Gohan blankly._

 _"Something's particularly bothering you today, isn't it?"_

 _"You?" Gohan didn't care if he was making Cell angry, he just wanted him to put him out of his misery already. He'd had five months of this - Cell playing with his head._

 _"Come on... indulge me for once."_

 _"Fine," he sighed, he had nothing to lose. Maybe Cell might have even been nice to him just for one day. "It's my birthday."_

 _"Today?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"How old are you?" he asked, even though he already knew. But this was the most he'd got out of Gohan in days._

 _"Sixteen," he answered. "I hope my mother's at least proud of me for lasting this long."_

 _"Technically, you didn't. Wasn't it your last birthday when you killed yourself?"_

 _"Wow... it's been a year already?" he said flatly. To them, it hadn't been that long at all. Gohan had spent two weeks in Hell after he died on his fifteenth birthday before being wished back to life. On Earth, six months had passed in that time, and Gohan had lived out the rest of the year, most of it under Cell's thumb._

 _"Don't you people usually mark such an occasion with a party of some sort?" asked Cell, wondering why humans did what they did, marking birthdays and weddings with celebrations. It was just strange to him._

 _"Usually. But there's fuck all to celebrate today. I just want this day to be over so I don't have to feel bad about not caring," scoffed Gohan as he tossed the book aside._

 _"Surely you'd rather do something other than sit here?"_

 _"Like what?"_

 _"I have an idea... "_

 _"Why don't I like where this is going?"_

 _"You want to feel something other than nothing just for today? Let's make a game out of it."_

 _Gohan found himself taking up Cell's offer._

 _"Okay... what kind of game?"_

 _Cell cocked his head towards the front door, gesturing at Gohan to follow him outside. It was pitch black outside, out in the open mountains as the broken barriers between dimensions made the sky disappear. Cell lead him towards the entrance to the woods, pushing Gohan to stand in front of him._

 _"The only rule, is that you have to be fast," he whispered into Gohan's ear._

 _"Why the hell did I agree to this?" mumbled Gohan._

 _"You said you wanted to play."_

 _"Fine... what do I have to do."_

 _"It's simple. You're going to run as fast as you can into those trees. I'm going to give you two minutes. And then I'm going to come and find you."_

 _"Seriously? Hide and seek?"_

 _"If you like," said Cell, before coming in even closer. "But be warned, if I find you, I'm going to do something to you."_

 _"Do something?" Gohan heard Cell chuckle against his ear. "Like what?"_

 _"It's part of the game. It'll make you run faster if you don't know," he said dangerously. "Two minutes."_

 _Gohan was actually afraid, yet it excited him. This was the first time in ages that he felt adrenaline rush through him that wasn't caused by him harming himself. He ran into the woods as fast as he could, not stopping for anything, not taking any particular direction. He'd explored these woods for years throughout his life, he used to know them like the back of his hand. But now, with fear and anticipation flowing through him, he didn't recognise any of the trees in the dark. He only wished that he still had his powers, which were still being suppressed by the drug that Cell was giving to him._

 _Gohan wondered if this game was fair if Cell had his powers when he didn't, but then snapped himself out of it; this game was never going to turn out in his favor, much like all of the other games Cell had played with him in the past. He didn't know where he was, but he was deep in the trees, sweating yet cold. It had to have been well over two minutes by now._

 _He was stood there for about ten seconds when he was suddenly grabbed by his arms and slammed into the nearest tree. He was startled for a second, his breathing ragged with fear. He could vaguely see Cell right in front of him, but only calmed himself down when he felt the androids lips caressing his own._

 _"You'll have to run faster than that. You can't stay in one place for so long."_

 _"So what are you going to do to me?"_

 _"Nothing. That was a test," he said, letting go of him. "Do you still want to play?"_

 _Gohan nodded instantly, not knowing why, and having a strange feeling that he was going to regret it. At least he was going to have an eventful birthday... but for all the wrong reasons._

 _"Then you've got two minutes. And make sure your heart's in it this time."_

 _Gohan sprinted for about 90 seconds straight, occasionally changing directions. He had a few scratches on his arms from brushing past branches that were in his path. He slowed down once he got to a stream, searching frantically for a way across it since he couldn't fly. He managed to find some stepping stones in the dark, which only wasted more time; Cell would have seen him out in the open, he was sure of it. He continued running for another minute when he was grabbed from behind, making him yell since it frightened him so much. He found himself laughing as he calmed again, feeling oddly secure in Cell's arms... this was starting to become fun._

 _"Better... but still not good enough," he said in a low voice. Gohan ended up giggling, not knowing why he wasn't struggling._ _Cell still had him in his arms, walking him forwards and shoving him against another tree so that he was facing it. "I found you in half a minute... you shouldn't have stopped. I told you." Cell still had one arm around his waist, the other was busy untying his belt._

 _"What are you doing?" asked Gohan, no longer scared and enjoying the rush of it all._

 _Gohan felt his pants being pulled down, but with his face against a tree trunk, he couldn't see anything that was happening. He felt two lubricated fingers push all the way into him without warning, a surprised cry escaping his mouth. He held onto the tree, not knowing what else to do as his heart began pounding in his chest._

 _"What I promised," laughed Cell, talking against his ear as he drove his fingers in and out of him quickly. Gohan's desperate moaning was testing Cell's limits, it was taking all of his strength not to just take him outright, but there would be time for that later; he wanted Gohan to still be able to run after this. "Do you like the game so far?"_

 _"You're hurting me... ahh... " The android wasn't being overly gentle with him at that moment, but Gohan was receiving immense pleasure from it as Cell found a fast rhythm which hit him in all the right places._

 _All of the adrenaline was going to his head, he became unhinged, letting himself be heard. He gasped as he felt his neck being licked, which distracted him as the hand on his waist began moving down slowly. He shook when he was grabbed on to, the android's hand moving up and down as quickly as his fingers were moving. Gohan hadn't felt this alive in weeks, begging him to go faster. Cell bit into his neck, pleasuring him into insanity. Gohan let out something between a growl and a scream as he came, tightening around Cell's fingers and quivering violently. Cell let him ride it out for a few more seconds before letting go and fixing his pants for him._

 _"You've no idea how much I wanted to fuck you just then," he said against his neck._

 _"Why didn't you?" panted Gohan. "I wanted you to."_

 _"I know. Some things are worth waiting for." Cell let go of him, Gohan turned around revealing how breathless and red in the face he was after that. He was still visibly shaking._

 _"You're not asking for anything back?"_

 _"Call it a birthday present."_

 _"We still playing?"_

 _"Of course. Two minutes... run for your life."_

 _Gohan took two steps forward, his knees giving way under him for a second before he regained his balance. He sprinted through the trees again, excited for whatever Cell had in store for him next. He rather enjoyed what he'd just received. Another tense five minutes passed and he slowed down for the first time, deciding which direction to go in next without going back on himself._

 _He let his guard down for a mere second when he was suddenly shot in the arm._

 _He cried out in pain and shock, his hand going straight to his left upper arm. It was bleeding and burning. He looked behind him to see where it came from, just narrowly missing a second pink beam that would have hit his face if he hadn't moved. It went into a nearby tree instead. He recognised that beam anywhere - Cell was shooting at him._

 _Gohan kept moving, wondering if Cell had changed the rules if he was shooting - and from a distance. Though he supposed that he was still playing along properly. Cell did say that he'd do something to him if he was found, that didn't necessarily mean finding him up close. And then it clicked - when Cell told him to run for his life, he meant literally._

 _He dodged another three beams before looking behind him as they stopped. Turning back again, Cell was stood in front of him, looking quite menacing in the dark, staring at Gohan like he was wounded prey. The game didn't last much longer; Cell darted forwards, slapping him across the face and shoving him to the ground. By the end of it, Gohan could no longer run - his ribs were broken._

 _"Well that was disappointing, I was rather enjoying myself," said Cell, helping Gohan stand slowly. The beaten saiyan held onto his side, still in absolute agony. "Shame you didn't last through that without your powers. Next time I caught you, I would have fucked you properly."_

 _Gohan was going to answer back, but couldn't as the pain in his ribs seemed to constrict his breathing somewhat._

 _"We'd better get you somewhere comfortable so you can heal," he said, not hiding his malicious smile. "And by the way... " Gohan visibly flinched as his face was caressed. "Happy birthday."_

\- End Flashback -

* * *

Cell could still feel it... the power was surging through him like no power he'd felt before. It still didn't fill the hole in his chest that had been steadily appearing for a few weeks now. No matter how much he'd try to shake off that feeling of emptiness it was still there. It felt as if it was in his hands more than anything else.

He could still feel Nita in his arms, so much that his body seemed to ache for her.

He didn't understand these feelings; he knew what they were, but he hated them, he denied them over and over in his head, even taking to talking himself out of it. Cell had feelings for Nita, he'd even go as far to say that he _loved_ her. But he didn't want to. He was an android, the perfect being. A being such as himself shouldn't have such earthly ties and emotional attachment to anything.

Cell finally took on board that he had saiyan blood in him, and the genes he had contributed to Nita's conception were obviously that of a saiyan, otherwise she can't have existed in the first place. She was an miscalculated anomaly that he thought would never happen in a million years. Even when he discovered that Gohan was pregnant with their child, he was convinced from the start that she wouldn't survive long enough to even be born, he even tried to kill her by punching him in the stomach.

Cell then felt something odd when he remembered his attempt on her life. It prompted another sort of ache in his chest. He'd seen this particular feeling before in Gohan many times - he felt guilty.

Part of him just wanted to kill her... kill Gohan too. And Trunks. And the rest of them to make these feelings stop. But at the same time, he just wanted to hold her again. He was made up of so many different people and species. He figured that his saiyan instincts were much stronger than he previously thought, but mixed in there were humans - _human_ emotions from some of the fighters and the thousands of people he absorbed before he got to the androids.

Cell sighed, still thinking about Nita. Now he was thinking about Gohan and began wondering. Did he love Gohan too? He immediately denied it as soon as he asked himself. He didn't love Gohan, those feelings definitely weren't the same ones he had for Nita. He admitted that he'd become attached to him as time passed, even obsessed with him. But he thought of Gohan as a possession, someone that belonged to him. He didn't regret anything they did together, still finding pleasure in abusing him, feeling that it was what Gohan deserved after what he did to him all those years ago.

Then he recalled his attempts at bullying Trunks and trying to take him as his own the way he did with Gohan. Trunks was definitely different to Gohan, fighting back and not taking anything from him without a fight. He wondered why he tried to claim Trunks for himself as well, coming to the conclusion that he simply wanted revenge; he wanted Trunks to suffer for taking Gohan away from him. He also hated him for raising _his_ daughter for him.

Cell let out a frustrated sigh, not knowing what to do with himself. He was extremely tempted to take more power for himself, even start taking antranide again despite the damage that it did to his body over the years. There were a lot of things he could have done at that moment. Leave the planet and search for something entirely different? Carry out his original mission and exterminate his enemies and the Earth? Or he could have gone straight back to Capsule Corp to set up some kind of plan to help fix reality with what he knew, at least that way he'd be closer to Nita; it would help stop that feeling of emptiness that was still eating away at him.

Or maybe he could just take Gohan away from them all like he did last time... keep him isolated from everything he knew, make him belong to him again. That would also hurt Trunks too, he smirked at the thought. But Nita was also another factor to consider in that.

Cell just sat there on the cliff edge... thinking.

* * *

"You are a _strange_ child," remarked Gohan. Nita was thriving again after almost a full day's sleep. "You owe me three days of rest, girl."

She was on the floor in the living room, kicking and wriggling around on her back, seemingly enjoying her diaper as Gohan wrapped her last one up and threw it in the bin outside. It looked as if she wasn't going back to sleep for another few hours yet at least; he wished that he'd got some sleep earlier on when he was with Trunks, but at least he squeezed three hours in before dinner.

Gohan scooped her up into his arms, getting onto his feet. Nita gave him a gummy, open-mouthed smile which made his own face light up in return.

"Gohan, hey!"

He didn't take his eyes off her when he said hello back to acknowledge Jeice and Krillin walking in.

"Wow, she's really growing," said Krillin. He and the other fighters had hardly seen Gohan for the past month, only Jeice and Goku had a look in now and again.

"Yeah, she started laughing a few days ago," said Gohan proudly.

"What the hell?"

Gohan and Krillin wondered what Jeice was looking at, but when they turned around they were startled as Cell casually walked into the room as if he hadn't been away.

"What are you doing here?" asked Krillin.

"I... " Cell forgot what he was going to day when Nita turned her head to look at him, her large brown eyes and innocent stare made his mind go completely blank. She suddenly did something that stunned them all... she smiled at him, her hands climbing and gripping Gohan's shirt with the excitement of seeing him. _You really are a strange child..._

"What do you want?" said Jeice, jumping to Gohan's defense, and also fearing for Nita's safety; Gohan was the only one who knew that they had nothing to fear - Cell wasn't going to lay a finger on her, he couldn't. Cell snapped out of it nonetheless.

"I think I can help you," said Cell, forcing himself not to look at her.

"Help us?"

"I've found the power source. We have six weeks until those barriers come down again completely. They're beginning to crumble even now," he said, seriously enough for Jeice and Krillin to take him on.

"Why are you telling us this? What's in it for you?" asked Krillin.

"I could have either taken that power for myself or come here to help. Consider yourself lucky it was the latter."

"You okay?" Jeice was concerned about Gohan, who'd remained silent since Cell walked in the room; while Nita looked overly happy, Gohan looked angry.

"What's wrong? You usually have a lot to say to me, Gohan," said Cell, almost arrogantly.

"Oh I do, believe me." Gohan put Nita back in her basket that was on the sofa beside him.

"Something bothering you?"

"You've been threatening him all this time," blurted Gohan, not caring who was listening. Cell caught on, rolling his eyes.

"Finally cracked, did he? I thought he would have held on at least a little longer."

"You sneaked up on him and cut his hair off! You've been terrorizing him, I only wish he'd told me sooner," cried Gohan angrily.

"Terrorizing who?!" yelled Krillin.

"Trunks?" said Jeice, realising what they were talking about.

"What can I say? How could I not want revenge on you?" said Cell, feeling no remorse at all.

"Why is this such a big deal to you?"

"Honestly, I've no idea," replied Cell. "But seeing him with his hands on you angered me."

"What are you talking about?" asked Krillin. Cell understood his reaction, letting out a small laugh.

"I see you haven't learned your lesson regarding secrecy, Gohan."

"That's because it isn't anybody's business," he answered. He turned to Krillin and Jeice, the two of them not liking the look on his face. "Take Nita and go."

"What? We're not leaving you here!" yelled Jeice.

"Just go!" growled Gohan firmly. Krillin grabbed Nita and dragged Jeice out of the room with him anxiously. Gohan wasn't sure whether he was strong enough to deal with Cell on his own yet, but his anger was fueling his confidence.

"Throwing your friends out and isolating yourself... not very smart," remarked Cell as they found themselves alone.

"You said you wouldn't go near him... "

"To be honest, I was expecting him to discard you after what we did. He obviously didn't learn his lesson."

"Whatever your problem is, it's not with Trunks. So deal with _me_ and not the people that I love."

"You love him, do you?"

Gohan silently cursed himself for walking right into that, but his fury was still spurring him on.

"Yes, I do. And I'm going to protect him from you."

"You think he's the answer to all of your problems?"

"I'm not in the mood for your fucking mind games anymore, Cell!" shouted Gohan.

"You'd rather I stop messing around?!" Cell had no idea why he felt so angry and lost... he felt that he shouldn't be caring that he was losing Gohan to someone else.

"Finally, a glimpse into what's really going on in your head! So tell me... what the fuck is your problem?!"

"You are my problem... you have _always_ been my problem... "

"So stay away from me!"

"I can't!" cried Cell, showing actual emotion for the very first time. Gohan's expression softened when his suspicions were confirmed.

"It's Nita, isn't it?" said Gohan, his voice a lot quieter again, but still shaking out of anger. Cell looked away from him, clenching his fists - he wanted to deny it, but he couldn't. "You care about her, don't you?"

"Don't you _dare_... " said Cell just as quietly, but a dangerous look appeared in his eyes.

"You care for something other than yourself, and you can't stand it."

"Stop it... "

"You love her... "

"SHUT UP!"

Cell retaliated after holding back his confusion for so long, hitting Gohan so hard in the face that the force of it knocked him to the ground. Gohan couldn't feel the left side of his face when he put his quivering hand on it; when he brought his hand back, it was covered in blood. Cell's claws had almost sliced his face in half in an uncoordinated punch. The android was breathing heavily, staring down at him. Gohan scrambled backwards as far as he could, backed into the corner of the room.

He had nowhere to run when Cell went for him again.

 **What happens when you give someone emotions that they aren't supposed to have? Well... that. I'm guessing.**

 **Please Review!**


	26. Who You Are

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 26: WHO YOU ARE**

Cell barged into the Red Ribbon Army base after teleporting over just seconds ago, finding his way to Doctor Gero's old laboratory where he'd set up home in the past few weeks.

"Cell, what brings you here?" he asked more or less cheerfully, yet not looking away from his computer.

"How could you?!" yelled the android, slamming his hands down on the metal table between them. Doctor Gero finally looked at him. Cell looked livid to say the least.

"How could I what?"

"I don't want to feel this... I don't even know what it is!"

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"She's everywhere. I can feel her," he said almost frantically. His hand was on his chest, gradually curling into a clenched fist. Doctor Gero was concerned at Cell's sudden anxiety, but he also noticed that Cell's knuckles had someone else's blood on them.

"Feel who?"

"Nita... "Cell said her name quietly as if he was afraid to say it.

"Your child?"

"Yes. My _child_. How could you do this to me?"

"What exactly have I done?!"

"If I'm meant to be the perfect killing machine, a destroyer of worlds, how could you allow me to _feel_ anything for somebody else?" he seethed.

"You're a complex being, Cell. I created you to be able to evolve," said Doctor Gero. "But I never expected this... for you to feel emotions of this caliber."

"Then why did you give me the ability to have children? Surely you should have known that I'd have some form instinct toward them."

"What happened to your hand?" he asked, Cell only just noticing that he still had blood on his knuckles.

"Gohan... he said it was love. That I _love_ her," said Cell. "I had to shut him up... " The android clenched his fist again, analysing the blood on it. "I don't want to feel this way. I don't want to feel _anything._ "

"Cell, your instincts are obviously trying to get you to allow you feel," remarked Doctor Gero. "Nita is your daughter, and therefore she's a part of you. Like I said, you're beginning to evolve, passing your genetics on through your offspring. Which isn't surprising after what's happened to you in the past few years."

"Make it stop... " he pleaded. Cell clearly wasn't taking this well, feeling angry and confused.

* * *

Gohan seemed to cough himself awake. For the first few seconds he forgot where he was until the living room slowly came into view. Once those first few seconds of numbness passed, he felt nothing but pain...

"Gohan!"

He vaguely saw Jeice running towards him as he tried to move, his senses were gradually returning to him. His body was curled tightly into a ball in the corner of the room. He went to push himself upright, but a sharp pain in his left wrist stopped him. Jeice pulled up him up to sit against the wall.

"What the hell did he do?! I heard yelling!"

"Where is he?" croaked Gohan.

"He's gone - "

"No... Trunks. I need him... " he stuttered, obviously in pain.

"What happened?!" cried Krillin as he ran in on them. He stopped when he saw Gohan covered in bruises, as well as what looked like two bleeding claw marks on his face.

"Go and get Trunks!" said Jeice. Krillin left the room immediately as Gohan grunted when he moved. He was a lot more lucid than he was before.

"Urgh... "

"Where are you hurting?"

"Ribs... and my wrist," he groaned, bringing his hand up. "Whoa... okay... " he gasped as he caught sight of his wrist bent out of place.

"Yeah... that's dislocated."

"How the hell did I do that?" Gohan understood the cuts on his face, along with the bruises and his possibly broken ribs, and he remembered; he blocked Cell's foot, albeit with poor technique. His wrist had been effectively kicked out of place. "Can you fix it?"

"What?! Well yeah, but Gohan - "

"Just do it! It's killing me!"

"Okay, but it's going to hurt," said Jeice. Gohan managed to calm himself down as Jeice took hold of his trembling arm, flinching as he also got hold of his hand. "Ready?"

"No - "

Gohan was cut off by an excruciating pain as Jeice flicked his wrist back into place rather swiftly with a sickening crunching sound. His screaming was heard by Krillin and Trunks, who ran into the room. Trunks darted over to him without even thinking first, kneeling beside him and taking him in his arms carefully, seeing how much pain he was in.

"I'm okay... " he grunted, gripping on to him desperately, his voice was still shaking with the shock to his body. "It's just my ribs, and my wrist."

"I love you," said Trunks, not caring who heard it. Krillin and Jeice had never seen Trunks like this before; as soon as Krillin had told him what happened, he seemed to be on autopilot, showing no emotion at all. Krillin was baffled by the way he had his arms around him in a possessive manner, but only Jeice knew what was going on - Trunks was showing primitive saiyan behavior, he was just protecting his mate. Gohan held on to him tighter until Trunks finally loosened his grip around him, kissing his forehead. "Can you stand up?"

"I think so."

Trunks helped Gohan onto his feet, pain radiating through his torso. He managed to stand, but his knees gave way under him. Luckily, Trunks ans Jeice managed to catch him. Jeice was a little unnerved by the fierce look he received from Trunks for going anywhere near Gohan, but he seemed to snap out of it at that moment.

"Can you help me get him to my mother?"

"Yeah sure."

"Where's Nita?" said Gohan, becoming drowsy.

"She's fine, she's with your parents," said Krillin.

Gohan breathed a sigh of relief... then promptly passed out.

* * *

The news of Gohan's attack soon spread around the place. He was taken straight to the medical area and examined, where it had emerged that he had three broken ribs and possibly some internal bruising, as well as various defense bruises on his arms. Jeice had reset his wrist in time and it was put in a splint to heal properly; the two cuts on his face were closed with butterfly closures, but Gohan was relieved that the black eye he got from it wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would have been. However, he had to stay in the medical room for rest and observation for the next few days since he couldn't breathe very well thanks to the state of his ribs.

"Isn't this all a bit much?" he asked from his propped up position. Bulma had just left the room, leaving him alone with Trunks, Krillin and Jeice who were all sat around his bed.

"No!" said Jeice. "You had seven shades knocked out of you!"

"Believe me, I've had worse."

"The fact that you've had worse is _not_ reassuring... "

"What am I supposed to do in here all day?"

"We'll keep you company!" said Krillin. "It's not like we have anything better to do."

"Actually, you do," said Gohan seriously. "Before Cell got to me... he said that Hell's going to break lose again."

"And you believe him?" asked Jeice.

"It's true," said Trunks. "We've got about six weeks before the barriers go completely."

"Six weeks?!"

"It's bad enough that I'm stuck in here where I can't help. You guys need to tell my dad and start preparing," said Gohan.

"Cell hasn't exactly told us the whole story here," said Trunks. "What about this power source? He hasn't told us anything about it, other than that he knows where it is."

"And it's not likely he's going to show his face around here for a while. That's why we need to start getting ready for it. Sooner rather than later."

"We'll tell them tonight," said Jeice. "But for now, we're staying here. We're a team!"

Gohan raised an eyebrow, but couldn't suppress his smile. The four of them were indeed quite close. Gohan was grateful that he had any friends at all after everything he'd put them through.

"Can I ask something?" quizzed Krillin, now that they all seemed to have a good moment to themselves.

"Ask away... " said Gohan calmly.

"Are you two together?" he asked carefully, pointing at Gohan and Trunks. The two of them looked at each other for a second before smiling.

"Yeah."

"What?! Really? How did that happen? Where have _I_ been?"

"It kind of just happened," said Trunks.

"No kidding!"

"Keep it to yourself too, our moms don't even know yet."

"I'm surprised Vegeta didn't kick your ass, Trunks," laughed Jeice. "Royalty with a third class?"

"He doesn't care as long as we don't flaunt it in front of him," said Trunks. "At least Goku was a lot nicer about it."

"I just thought you were friends. How in the heck did I not notice that?" cried Krillin. "Hey, how did you find out?"

"It's hard not to notice something like that when you walk in on nakedness," teased Jeice.

"Hope we didn't mentally scar you," laughed Gohan.

* * *

"I'm so bored in here... " complained Gohan. "It's been two days, I'm fine!"

"Make the most of the amount of rest you're getting," laughed Trunks. "You'll soon get back to the sleepless nights again."

"Are those sleepless nights going a result of Nita or you?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about," he protested innocently, the look on his face telling an entirely different story. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"I've had worse than a dislocated wrist and a couple of cracked ribs, believe me."

"Seriously... if anything happened to you... " Trunks' face fell and his eyes drifted away from him. Now that they were alone, he could finally show his true feelings.

"Hey... " Gohan placed his hand on the side of his face, tracing his thumb over his cheek. "I'm fine." He let his head fall back onto the pillow with a sigh when Trunks put his hand on top of his.

"Tired?"

"A little."

"I can go if you need to rest."

"Stay," said Gohan instantly. "I hate sleeping without you."

"I know the feeling."

"Plenty of room here for you."

"Wouldn't want to take up all that space," said Trunks with a smile.

"Could do with a hug... " shrugged Gohan, trying to coax him into staying even more.

"I can take care of that for you. How long do you want me to stay?"

"Forever?" laughed Gohan, half-seriously. Trunks took his hand from his face and played with his fingers.

"I can stay with you all night if you need me to."

Gohan sighed with relief.

"Thank fuck for that... " he laughed again. Trunks stood up, kicking his shoes off and removing his jacket as Gohan scooted up closer to the wall to give him room to lie down next to him. Gohan found himself huddling towards him, feeling less anxious about everything after being alone for two days. It seemed that even though Trunks was still around, it always felt like he was too far away from him. "Mm... that's better," he sighed, closing his eyes.

"Yeah," said Trunks, softly running his fingers through his hair. "You going to tell me what _really_ happened?"

"No fooling you, is there?"

"Nope. Why did he attack you?"

"Because he loves Nita," replied Gohan, his voice began to shake. "I've never seen him so confused... "

"And it made him lash out?"

"Yeah... he just reacted the only way he knew how."

"Not that I'm siding with him here, but I've seen it before," said Trunks. "That's exactly what you used to do whenever anyone tried to reach out to you."

"Wow... no wonder Nita has such a bad temper," joked Gohan lightly. "So the way Cell's reacting to everything is because he's emulating me?"

"Possibly."

"Maybe me and Cell have always been more alike than we'd like to admit," he said, before looking straight at Trunks. "I'm sorry, I hate talking about Cell in front of you... it's a little weird."

"Gohan, you can talk to me about anything if it's going to help you."

"A part of me wants to reach out to him and make him understand that there's nothing wrong with caring about his child," he continued. "But at the same time, I don't want him anywhere near her."

"What was he like towards you?" asked Trunks. "Was he violent all the time?"

"No," answered Gohan. "At first we'd slept together a few times in Hell, but I never stuck around to hear what he had to say about it. Whenever we had to train together we never really mentioned it and he'd just beat me up and push me around like he usually did. Then when he took me away, I didn't let him touch me for weeks. Most of the time he'd just leave me alone, other times he'd hit me, but it was only ever because Frieza had said something to him that hit a nerve."

He sighed, gearing himself up as he carried on.

"One day, I decided to let him have me, but on my terms, just to give myself a little control back. I started sticking around, he let me sleep on him and he'd hold me when I needed him to, whenever I felt the urge to cut. And then a couple of weeks later I... uh, " Gohan cut himself off instantly, not wanting to shame himself anymore - he was only scratching the surface.

"It's okay," said Trunks, urging him to open up.

"I tried to kill myself with broken glass, but he stopped me. I... I told him that I loved him."

"And did you?"

"I don't know... I guess I did, in a way. He laughed in my face if that's any consolation... "

"Did you expect him to say it back?"

"No, he never did," said Gohan, recalling how he avoided Cell for several days afterwards. "After everything that happened with Frieza and getting out of that warehouse, it got heavier. We started on the antranide and we spent the next two weeks high. I was doing things that I'd never thought I'd ever consider doing."

"Like what?"

"You don't want to know how far I went to get my hands on those pills... "

Seeing the dread in Gohan's face, Trunks didn't ask.

"I didn't care about the damage I was doing to myself and I never considered the people around me. After we got over the drugs, he started using my feelings against me. He used to make me tell him that I loved him whenever either of us wanted anything. He got more violent when his brain was failing. I was constantly switching between myself and my saiyan half so much that I don't remember half the things we did. And then one night, about a month after we left you guys at the army base, he tried to make me eat something because I felt run down... later on, he told me that I was pregnant."

"How did he know?"

"He sensed it. I was too wrapped up in myself to notice it until he told me it was there. He changed after that."

"Changed how?"

"Distant, I guess. We still slept together, but not as much. I could see something in him whenever I took off my shirt in front of him. It was like he resented her. He was aggressive, made snide comments about my weight and the way I looked. Then the pregnancy made me really sick and he took me to Doctor Gero so he could heal me, and that's when... "

"What?"

"That was when he raped me."

"Gohan... "

"And as weird as it sounds, I think I can understand why he did it," said Gohan, his voice was still wavering the more he opened up. "While I was sick, she took me away from him. I think that was when he realised that things were about to change forever."

"What he did was still wrong, no matter what the reason."

"I'm not condoning what he did. I just know that was when he first started to feel lost."

"Do you still love him?" asked Trunks, though it pained him to ask. Gohan managed to look at him, but he had to really think about how to answer that since he didn't really know himself.

"I guess I have feelings for him, after everything that's happened," he said carefully. "But I don't think I love him. I feel so fucking stupid for thinking that I did... "

"At least you've figured that out for yourself, even if it took you over a year," said Trunks softly. "And he can't use it against you anymore, can he?"

"No... but he uses my feelings for you against me instead."

"Same here... that's why I didn't tell you what was really happening. He said you were too fragile to handle it. That you'd blame yourself."

"How did I get myself into this mess?" groaned Gohan. "It's not as simple as moving on. Not now that Nita's here too."

"Well there's two things that you could do. You can either ignore him or try to help him."

"How do you help someone who doesn't want it?"

"I helped you, didn't I?"

Gohan's eyes were opening a little to the situation; he was right. Trunks managed to get through to him while he was at his lowest, while Gohan tried everything in his power to push him away.

"I love you," he said. "How did I not see you for all that time?" he asked, stroking his arm affectionately.

"Tell me about it... "

"I had a huge crush on you when I was younger, you know?"

"Really?" laughed Trunks.

"Yeah... you were always so cool. Still are. How are you so cool?"

"I'm not cool," he said. "I can be really clumsy."

"That just makes you sound even cooler."

"I did wonder why you were always hanging around me back then."

"Yep," admitted Gohan. "Not that I expected anything from it. I was only eleven." Trunks could only chuckle at him. "What?"

"You're adorable."

"It's a shame I wasn't old enough to know what the hell that all meant back then. I'm not exactly that same little boy anymore."

"He's still in there," said Trunks.

"Even after... everything?"

"You've been to some dark places. We both have. Sometimes in life, you screw up, but it doesn't change who you are."

"I guess... plus an attitude problem."

"Well without the attitude problem, I doubt you would've made the first move with me. You're not exactly shy."

"I thought you didn't remember anything," teased Gohan, his smile growing wide.

"I remember some stuff... "

"Really?"

"Little things," said Trunks as they got even closer.

"Like what?"

"When you first kissed me."

"Hm... remind me?"

Trunks closed the gap between them, pressing their lips together as gently as he could. Gohan felt something every time he did that, which only sealed his feelings for Cell entirely... he was never in love with him, not like he was at that moment with Trunks; he pushed things further, introducing his tongue and pulling him even closer to himself. He was growing annoyed with his arm being bandaged up so much that he couldn't touch him properly.

"Hey Trunks?"

"Hm?"

"Ever done it in a hospital?" he asked in a low voice. Trunks let out a little laugh.

"No, can't say that I have."

"Do you want to?"

"Sure you're up to it?" said Trunks, pointing at Gohan's ribs.

"It'll be romantic," said Gohan sarcastically, not managing to keep himself from laughing. Trunks gave him an endearing look, stroking his dark hair out of his face.

They kissed more aggressively this time, Gohan gripping onto him as best he could with his arm being confined. He felt frustrated that he couldn't feel him while he was lying on his side. His fingers were free, but he couldn't hold onto anything properly. Trunks' hand trailed carefully down his body, avoiding the bruises on the left side of his torso and placing itself between Gohan's legs.

Gohan left out a soft moan as he started moving, bringing his own hand around to return the favor, only to be annoyed when the bandage around his hand only allowed him to skim his fingers over him softly, but not much else. Then he had an idea; with what little movement he had in his fingers, he undid Trunks' pants and pulled him out of his boxers. He took the hand off himself and placed on Trunks' groin instead so that he was doing it to himself.

Trunks got the message, giving him a dark stare as he touched himself, rolling onto his back to get better access to himself. Gohan propped himself up on his good arm and leaned over him; he smiled as Trunks' free arm slid under him and curled around his waist to pull him into another kiss.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly.

"You... "

"Is it dirty?"

"Very," whispered Trunks as he got hotter. He slid his other hand into the back of Gohan's pants, making them both start laughing. Gohan's tail was in the air, giving a frisky flick now and again.

"Care to elaborate?"

"I'm not telling you," he teased.

"Why not?"

"Because..." Trunks moaned as he got closer, feeling a warm wave wash over him. Gohan leaned down and kissed his neck, trailing his lips down, pulling his shirt out of the way to leave a dark hickey on his shoulder where nobody would see it. He smiled against him as Trunks' breathing got more erratic, Gohan was obviously contributing to whatever Trunks was playing out in his head; his free hand had a good grip on him.

"Come on, tell me."

"It's a secret."

He was losing it as he felt another wave hit him. Gohan was relishing in the sounds he was making and how beautiful a looked as he was doing it. But Trunks' holding back on him made him want to get his own back. Since he had his eyes closed, Gohan quickly moved, careful not to hurt himself, and bowed his head down onto Trunks' crotch, taking him into his mouth. His orgasm hit him hard as soon as he was engulfed, not expecting it at all.

Trunks' body went completely limp, he lay there panting as he came floating back down again. Gohan propped himself up next to him again before he began giggling.

"What?" asked Trunks, returning his smile.

"That was so hot," laughed Gohan. Trunks caressed his face with one still trembling hand. "So... what were you thinking about?"

"Still not telling."

"So not fair... "

"You're funny when you squirm."

"You're mean... "

Trunks turned over, pushing Gohan onto his back to give him another kiss, taking his good hand and placing it between his legs. He felt him jump at the sensation since he was already hard from earlier. Gohan slid his hand into his pants, touching himself in a way to make himself look appealing.

"How wild is your imagination?" asked Trunks.

"I don't know," answered Gohan as his eyes fell shut. "I've got nothing to compare it to, have I?"

"I want to find out... " he whispered, making Gohan shudder. It wasn't taking Gohan long to finish himself off, being already half way there just watching Trunks.

"Tell m-me," he stuttered. Trunks watched him intently, his hand drifting down his body. He pulled his shirt up a little, trailing his fingers up and down his side gently. "That tickles... "

"I know. What's going on in your head?"

"You first."

"What am I doing to you?" teased Trunks.

"Stuff," answered Gohan with a smile, his cheeks burning.

"What kind of stuff?"

"You're not getting around me that easily," he said. Trunks leaned in closer to his ear.

"I _was_ getting around you pretty easily, actually," said Trunks, seductively licking his neck. "Quite the screamer." He moved his hand again, sneaking into Gohan's pants. Gohan was so dangerously on the edge that he was having trouble holding his voice back.

"In your dreams - " he panted. He didn't expect another hand, that wasn't his own, drag itself the underside of his length, cutting off what he was saying and causing him to climax, a loud, shaky cry finally escaped him. Gohan arched off the bed, riding it out until he collapsed again. He opened his eyes slowly, familiar bright blue eyes staring back at him. They kissed before Gohan settled in his arms again.

"I hope nobody heard you... "

"I don't care if they did," he answered, not even meaning to say it out loud.

"Gohan... that's a very naughty thing to say," said Trunks teasingly, before they both burst out laughing. He kissed him lovingly on the forehead, stroking his hair softly; he combed his fingers through, massaging his scalp until Gohan felt so relaxed that he couldn't move.

"Oh... don't do that... I'll fall asleep," groaned Gohan.

"It's okay. I like watching you sleep."

* * *

"How does it look?"

"Um... purple?" remarked Trunks, as he was examining the state of Gohan's ribs the next day. He was stood up, leaning against the bed holding his shirt up on the left side.

"Like eggplant purple or purple like your head?"

"Mmmm... eggplant."

"Great... "

"Looks like it's healed a lot though," reassured Trunks. The bruise around his broken ribs was indeed fading quickly.

"You not going to kiss it better for me?" teased Gohan, letting his shirt cover him up again.

"Any excuse to get me on my knees... "

"I wouldn't say no to that either... just saying... "

"You're _definitely_ feeling better," laughed Trunks, kissing him lovingly.

"I don't know if I can face them all again... I'm kind of getting used to being cooped up in here," sighed Gohan.

"I thought you couldn't wait to get out of this room."

"I know. Just used to it now," he said. "So, is everyone up to date on the situation? I forgot to ask... "

"Yeah, I'm training today in the gravity chamber."

"Training sounds good, too bad I've only got one arm."

"You're not training until you're better," said Trunks.

"Fine... I'll just be a good stay-at-home parent for a while."

"There's no rush. A couple of weeks and you'll be fine."

"I guess... " said Gohan, shrugging his shoulders. He hated feeling so useless. "Are you training all day?"

"Most likely. My dad's raring to go so I'll probably be more sore than you are."

Gohan slid his arms around his waist, pulling him into an embrace. Trunks placed his arms delicately around his shoulders, stroking his hair as both their eyes fell shut.

"I'm turning into one of those really clingy freaks... "

"It's nice to feel wanted," laughed Trunks. He let him go, cupping his face and kissing him again. They jumped apart instantly when there was a knock on the door, creating a non-intimate amount of space between them both.

"Someone misses their daddy!" chirped Chi Chi as she came into the room. Nita was in her arms, her face lighting up when she saw Gohan.

"Hey, there!" he said happily as Nita was handed over to him. "You're getting so big! Mom, what have you been feeding her?"

"No more than usual, you're just noticing because you haven't seen her for a while," she replied.

"I've missed you."

Gohan held her up against him in his arms, hugging her lovingly. Trunks noticed the calm in his face as he did it. Nita looked up at him, her mouth opening into a smile. She was indeed growing, now strong enough to hold her head up on her own.

"How are you feeling?" asked Chi Chi.

"I'm getting there."

"I'd better get going... " said Trunks, feeling awkward in front of Chi Chi. He left the room quickly, but not before giving Gohan a smile that only he could see. But Chi Chi noticed Gohan smiling back, giving him a weird look.

"What?" he said nervously, cradling Nita in his arms; Nita continued to gaze at him, chewing on her fist so much that she was beginning to drool.

"Don't 'what' me! I saw that look you just gave him," said Chi Chi, folding her arms. Gohan just laughed nervously, shaking his head. He didn't know what to say back, hoping she'd figure it out for herself. "It's a shame he's a little too old for you."

"Uh... "

"Trunks is a lovely young man. I'm sure there's a nice girl out there for him. In the mean time, you need to concentrate on Nita and yourself for a while."

"Mom... "

"Trust me, you'll get over a little crush. And I'm sure there will be a nice boy out there for you one day, too. Someone your own age."

"Mom, there's something I need to - "

There was another knock on the door, Krillin came popped his head round.

"Hey, how you doing?" he asked cheerfully as Bulma followed him in.

"I'm okay."

"Well, you're stood up and you're holding Nita. So that's good enough for me," said Bulma. "Just don't overexert yourself for the next few days and rest as much as you can. Vegeta and your father are expecting you to join them and Trunks with their training soon."

"Yay... " said Gohan flatly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" quizzed Krillin, folding his arms.

"Yeah... " he answered. "I've had worse, it's nothing."

"But it's not nothing!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Cell attacked you! Beat you half to death and put you in hospital for days... and that's nothing?" said Krillin.

"He's right, Gohan," said Bulma. Gohan started to feel panicked, holding Nita closer to himself. He didn't know why he felt the need to run rather than admit what happened.

"How many times has Cell done this to you? You were lying there black and blue, making jokes and acting like you'd only fell down the stairs."

"Seventeen."

"What?" Krillin, Bulma and Chi Chi fell silent as Gohan finally spoke for himself.

"Seventeen times," said Gohan, just loud enough for them to hear. "And this time I got off lightly, believe me." He'd counted all of the more serious assaults that Cell carried out on him since their relationship began, remembering every single one; he hadn't included the psychological bullying or smaller attacks, such as being pushed around or slapped or even pinched - he couldn't recall that much.

"Gohan... " Chi Chi hadn't heard much from him about his experiences this past year, mostly because she chose to ignore it. She didn't want to have to carry the knowledge that her son was being abused - and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Mom, can I tell you something?" he asked. "In private... "

Bulma got the message, ushering Krillin out of the room.

"What is it?" she said, her voice noticeably wavering. They both sat back on the bed as she put her hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. Nita had since fallen asleep on Gohan. "Oh, Gohan, I'm so sorry."

"What for? It's not your fault I went off on one."

"I didn't listen to you when I should have. You were sick, and I just ignored it because I couldn't believe that anything could bring my bright, happy little boy down."

"It's still difficult at times," admitted Gohan. "Depression's a tricky one. But the longer you live with it, the better you get to know it. And now that I know it pretty well, I know when to ask for help."

"Do you still... harm yourself?"

"I did a lot up until about six months ago when I stopped. I only relapsed once a few weeks ago when I hit a really rough patch. But it's under control again."

"I'm so proud of you," she said tearfully, stroking his hair out of his face. "You need to know that, okay? I just wish that you could have talked to me... I wish that I could have been more open with you so that you didn't have to deal with Cell on your own."

"The less you know about Cell, the better the both of us will feel. Trust me. It's best left in the past."

"This may not be the life I had in mind for you, but I see you with Nita, and I couldn't be happier."

"I love you, mom," said Gohan.

"Oh, come here!" Chi Chi put her arm around his shoulders, kissing him on the forehead. "What was it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Um, it's about Trunks," he said, pausing as he knew that she would jump to conclusions... and she did.

"Oh, Gohan. I promise, crushes like these will pass - "

"Mom! Can I get a word in?" he complained, but not harshly.

"Sorry... "

"It's not a crush," he said, trying a look at her in the eye as he was speaking. "Me and Trunks... we're together."

Chi Chi's first facial expression to the news was certainly one that Gohan would remember forever. It wasn't angry - which was a good start - but it was safe to say that she was shocked.

"Well say something!" he said lightheartedly.

"Gohan... are you sure about this? I mean, so soon after all that business with... "

"I don't think I've been more sure about anything else."

"But he's so much older than you!"

"He's twenty-five! He's not exactly about to retire... "

"You're sixteen! "

"And a saiyan, and a father... and yes, I do forget how old I really am sometimes."

"How long have you two been together?" she asked, seemingly calming down.

"Since just before Nita was born. Dad and Vegeta both know, but Bulma doesn't so let Trunks tell her."

"Goku knows?! And he didn't tell me?!"

"I asked him not to! It was early days... "

"So why are you telling me now?"

"Because... I love him. And I thought that it was about time you knew. I only didn't tell you at first because I thought the less people knew, the less likely I'd screw things up."

"The relationship that you had with... you know who... that's not what a real relationship is like."

"I know," said Gohan. "I spent a lot of time in the beginning with Trunks being afraid of him for no reason. But he's taught me so much about what it's _supposed_ to be like. He's seen me at my worst and brought me all the way back again. Without him, I wouldn't have made it."

* * *

Gohan spent most of the day in the living room, lying on the couch. He was on his right side, propped up on his elbow, gazing down at Nita. She was wriggling around on her back, occasionally jamming her own fist into her mouth.

Chi Chi had since told him that while he was recovering, she had a talk with Vegeta about Nita. Apparently, saiyan baby milestones differed from those of humans. Despite only being two months old, she'd soon be expected to start rolling over now that she was able to hold her own head up. She was getting stronger by the day. She was certainly more aware and more lively as the days passed.

Nita was beaming back up at him with her large brown eyes, sticking her tongue out. Gohan giggled back at her, placing his hand on her belly and tickling her gently. She grinned at the sensations and the sounds of Gohan's laughing, prompting some giggles of her own to start escaping. Gohan leaned down and showered her little face with gentle kisses; Nita raised her arms up to grab his hair, though one got hold of his nose. He kissed her tiny hand, keeping his own protectively over her when he knew he was being watched.

"What?" Gohan didn't look at him, the agony in his ribs still leaving him with painful reminders. Cell said nothing. "What do you want?" he said, this time angrily. Gohan finally looked at him, noticing that same pained expression in his eyes; he was staring at Nita. Nita shifted her head to the right, her face breaking into a lopsided, open-mouthed smile which seemed to agitate Cell even further.

"Why does she do that?"

"Because she likes you," said Gohan harshly, struggling to sit up. "God knows why."

"She _likes_ me... " he repeated. "Hopefully that'll stop one day."

"However she feels about you won't change your own feelings."

"You... " Cell came closer to him, making Gohan pick Nita up and hold her. "What did you do to me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're making me feel this way!"

"Denying what's staring you in the face isn't going to get you anywhere!" said Gohan firmly. "Accept that you love your daughter. It might even make you a better person."

"I don't want to be a better person."

"Get over yourself! You can't deny the instincts you have. I tried that when she was inside me, but it's not something you can just shut off. It's part of who you are," he said, echoing his chat with Trunks the previous night. "Beating me senseless isn't going to make this go away. You need help."

"I don't _want_ your help!"

"Then why are you here?!" he cried, holding Nita close to his chest. Cell opened his mouth to yell back, put him back in his place... but nothing came out at first. When he did manage to answer, it was the quietest Gohan had even heard him speak.

"I don't know... "

Gohan dropped his defensive demeanor when he felt the android's aggression suddenly die down completely; Cell looked more lost than ever.

 **No, Cell isn't going to turn into a doting father and live happily ever after... where's the fun in that? ;)**

 **Please Review!**


	27. Fissures

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 27: FISSURES**

"What do you mean you don't know?" asked Gohan. Cell was clearly having some kind of mental argument with himself over this; it hurt him to stay away from Nita, but he couldn't bare to be around her either. He considered staying at a certain distance from her, but he felt like he needed to be a part of her life in some way too.

"I don't know what to do... " he admitted, for the first time.

"You've seriously never cared for anything before have you?"

"No... not like this."

"There's nothing wrong with caring about your child."

"I'm not supposed to have anyone in my life."

Gohan found himself calming down; Cell wasn't here to hurt him. Or so he was presuming. But he didn't know what to do to make the android feel at ease being around Nita, he just seemed to get more agitated as time passed. Gohan then wondered if he, himself, was the problem, maybe Cell was anxious because he was there too. He noticed that Cell was unwittingly tapping his foot out of uneasiness - Cell was indeed emulating him, that was exactly what Gohan used to do when he was on the verge of a panic attack. He had an idea, not a great one, but still a plan. He put Nita down on the sofa, wrapping her in her favourite white blanket and propping her up in the corner.

"I need to get her food," he said quietly. "Can you watch her for five minutes?"

"What?"

Cell was skeptical over Gohan's intentions, narrowing his eyes, yet still restlessly tapping his foot. Why would would Gohan trust him? Even for five minutes? Even after the android beat the living daylights out of him a few days earlier; he figured that no matter how much Gohan had tried to get on with his life, he was still very much under Cell's thumb, despite how much Gohan implied that he wasn't anymore.

"I'll be right back."

Gohan left the room quickly before he could change his mind, closing the door behind him and praying that nobody would go in until he got back.

Cell was immediately unnerved by that innocent stare. Large, shining brown eyes with thick black eye lashes, examining every inch of him, he couldn't tell what she was thinking, or even if she was thinking at all since she was just a baby. Her resemblance to Gohan was remarkable, especially as she grew older, but he could see a lot of himself in her too.

Nita suddenly made a loud, sharp squeaking noise which made Cell physically jump. He felt silly for acting like she was some kind of monster when her squeaking settled into some ridiculous babbling, followed by a cough. And there it was again - that sickening, loathsome... beautiful smile.

Cell did feel better that Gohan wasn't around while he stood there wrestling with himself, now he had time to figure things out. Nita's eyes began darting around the room, her arms wriggling about like she was trying to take off. Her hands were opening and closing repeatedly as if she was trying grab hold of the thin air around her. Then she clenched her fist and shoved it into her mouth, relentlessly chewing on it.

"What on earth are you doing?" he asked, forgetting that she couldn't answer back. He regretted opening his mouth when she started smiling again, making more weird noises; she removed her hand from her mouth and waved her arms around again, bashing them down against herself.

Cell only just realised that he'd been frozen against the wall since he arrived there. Convincing himself that he had nothing to be afraid of, he took a few steps forward, approaching Nita slowly. He became agitated when she seemed to stop whatever the hell she was doing to pay attention to him as he crouched down in front of the couch, placing his folded arms onto the seat and resting his head on them.

He wondered why he was so afraid of her, the longer he tolerated being around her. She was so... little. And weird.

Cell snapped out of it when the door opened and Gohan walked inside, making sure to shut them all in. The last thing he wanted was a scene. Gohan put the bottle down on the table beside them, kneeling down to Cell's level and taking up the same position, watching Nita's every move. They sat in silence for the next ten minutes.

"Yellow is her favourite colour," said Gohan calmly.

"What?" replied Cell quietly, not taking is eyes off her in case she ate him alive.

"Well, I'm not saying it's the key to her heart but... if you show her anything bright yellow, she laughs at it."

Gohan picked up a couple of small soft toys from the floor and put them in front of her. She stuck her tongue out as she picked one of them up, stuffed it into her mouth, and then went for the other.

"And she puts just about everything in her mouth at the moment."

"She's left-handed," said Cell. It was the most he'd said to Gohan since he left him beaten to a pulp.

"Yeah, she goes for everything with her left hand first - "

Gohan suddenly flung his arm out to catch Nita as she fell forwards thanks to her wriggling so much; he eased her down onto her front. Cell seemed to flinch a little when she put her hand on top of his unintentionally, but remained still as she began to grip onto it. She was lifting her head up with ease to get a closer look at him, her tail curiously waving in the air behind her. All of a sudden, her head flopped back down to the side and her face scrunched up until she started crying out of nowhere.

The android's eyebrows knitted together at that loud screaming, never hearing anything else like it. It made him want to run, but he also felt a twinge of instinct towards it as well, wanting to pick her up of his own accord for the first time. But he froze again.

"Right on time," sighed Gohan, reaching for the bottle he left on the table. He spilled a few drops on his wrist to check that it was the right temperature.

"She cries when she's hungry?"

"Yeah. All babies do that."

Cell reached out with his free hand, gently tracing his thumb over her cheek repeatedly. She stopped crying immediately, to the surprise of both of them. Gohan was amazed by the way that Cell was comforting her and making her feel at ease, though the android didn't let on that in fact, it was the other way around. Her skin felt soft under his thumb, but not like Gohan's was.

Gohan watched him for a few minutes until Cell felt brave enough to move his hand to the back of her head, feeling the thin wisps of black hair sticking up off her scalp. He wished he could have just left Cell there to carry on, but he didn't want her falling asleep hungry. He wanted a decent night's sleep tonight.

"Sorry, I need to feed her," he said carefully, still instinctively afraid of what he'd do after the last time. Cell removed his hand from her so that Gohan could pick her up. She grunted as she was moved, brought down to their level in Gohan's arms. Gohan got as comfortable as he could where he was and began feeding her. He smiled at the way she was trying to hold the bottle up by herself.

Cell observed the way she was guzzling her milk down as if she'd never eaten before.

"Is that all she consumes?" he asked.

"For the time being, yeah. She has twice as much as regular babies do, apparently. Saiyan appetite."

Gohan tried to ignore Cell's persistent staring as Nita finished off her bottle. He put it on the floor and sat her upright to burp her, before timidly looking over at Cell.

"This is one of the least glamorous parts of parenting."

Cell said nothing in return, showing no expression when she finally let out a little belch. Gohan sat her on his knee, wiping her mouth as she got back to what she was doing before, flailing her arms and kicking her legs out.

"Ba!" she shouted.

"And that means... " quizzed Cell blankly.

"I've no idea," said Gohan. "You can hold her if you want."

"Okay."

Gohan surprised that he was so willing to do so after the last time, realising that Cell was just afraid to ask. He picked her up and handed her over, Cell hesitantly took her in his arms, resting her upright on his knee. She simply sat there, babbling to herself.

"Strange," said Gohan. "She's only seen you three times and she recognises you."

"I must have a memorable face."

"That's true." _For all the wrong reasons..._

"What else does she like?" he asked after a long pause.

"Food," laughed Gohan.

"She's going to love bananas in that case."

"Huh?"

"They're yellow," said Cell.

"Oh... " Gohan laughed quietly to himself, playing with Nita's fingers. "Cell... "

"Hm?"

"What are we going to do?" he asked doubtfully. Just when things were starting to feel normal, the world was turned on it's head for the millionth time - Nita was Cell's child too, and there was nothing either of them could do about it. Cell shrugged, shaking his head in response; he had no idea. This was the first real personal dilemma he'd ever faced.

"You're not really a monster, are you?" said Cell; he had his hand behind her, supporting her back as she chewed on her own lip. Despite being in the living room most days, she was still finding everything in it fascinating. The android hadn't taken his eyes off her since he got there. He finally picked her up and put her on the floor between them, lying her on her stomach. Nita propped herself up under her arms, grinning away when Gohan put her toys in front of her again. "She seems happy."

"Yeah, she is," replied Gohan, playing with her tail with his fingers which was still swaying eagerly. "So does this mean that you want to see more of her?"

"Maybe," mumbled Cell quietly, still unsure about it. But he had to admit, this was the most peaceful he'd felt in weeks. "I've never thought about the future before."

"It's scary at first," said Gohan, looking away from the both. "When you just live in the moment for so long and then bam... there's a little person who fully depends on you - " Gohan averted his eyes back down to Nita and paused for a second - she was lying on her back with a wide smile. "Did she just roll over?"

"Yes... why?"

"Wow, really?!"

"Is that new?"

"That's the first time she's ever done that!"

Gohan forgot Cell was there for a second, tickling her belly until she began giggling. Cell looked away from Nita for a few seconds, observing how content Gohan was, talking and smiling down at Nita. A huge part of him wanted to rip it all away from him as usual, however, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Taking Nita away from him would indirectly hurt her as well. Cell had only just noticed that Gohan's wrist was confined in a splint, the cuts on his face were healing quickly.

"What are you doing here, android?"

Neither of them heard the door open, both of them looking up to see Vegeta stood in the doorway. He seemed defensive at first, until he saw Nita on the floor between them.

"Spending time with my child," said Cell almost mockingly. Gohan didn't say anything, Cell wasn't exactly lying. "I'd best be going. She's getting tired."

Gohan and Vegeta both looked at Nita - she was slowly falling asleep on the floor, not wriggling around as much as she was. Cell stroked her face gently with his finger before standing up, walking past Vegeta and leaving silently.

"What's going on?" questioned Vegeta. Gohan scooped Nita up into his arms as he stood up.

"Saiyan instinct," answered Gohan. "It's not something you can control, is it?"

"No," he said in return. "Was that the first time he's seen her?"

"It's the longest he's stuck around without freaking out."

"Be careful," he sighed. "Cell may not hurt Nita, but he can still hurt you."

"You think I don't know that after the other day?"

"While it's admirable that you're trying to help him come to terms with being a father, you need to try and not get too close to him. Or else you'll end up right back where you started."

* * *

Gohan was back in his and Trunks' room, pacing up and down and rocking Nita to sleep in his arms. She was extremely relaxed under the circumstances. Vegeta's words were still racing through his head as he placed her down in her basket to sleep, noticing how big she was getting; she only just fit into it now. He snapped out of it just as the door opened as quietly as it usually did at that time of night.

"Hey," said Trunks cheerfully, tired after training all day. He felt refreshed after having a long shower. Gohan turned his head to look at him, immediately calming his thoughts when he realised he was no longer alone. He threw his arms around him desperately, holding him tight and burying his face into his damp hair. "Okay... either you're really happy to see me or something's happened."

Gohan let him go and pulled back, the look on his face not reassuring Trunks in the slightest.

"Cell was here," he said quietly. Trunks led him over to sit down with him on the edge of the bed.

"What happened?"

"Nothing really," shrugged Gohan. "He came to see Nita."

"How was it?"

"Strange. At first he was as agitated as he's always been around her, but after a while he settled down, got to know her a little. He even held her for a few minutes." Gohan let out a frustrated sigh. "What the hell are we supposed to do from now on? Do we make arrangements or does he just drop in whenever he feels like it for five minutes?"

"I don't know what to suggest, really."

"Vegeta walked in on us. Afterwards he warned me not to get too close... " Gohan felt uneasy saying that, feeling that it could have been taken the wrong way. "I was never close to him in the first place. Not really."

"If Nita wasn't involved, I'd have said the same," admitted Trunks. "It's a... _unique_ situation to say the least."

"I don't deserve you," said Gohan.

"Why's that?"

"All this... it's like living in a damn soap opera. Having to share my life with my psycho ex... you shouldn't have to put up with it."

"Everything good comes at a price," said Trunks. "You should know that."

"I have to think about Nita's future, but I can't if Cell's involved. When we were together, I learned not to think about anything except what was happening there and then. I can't physically imagine my future... I was hellbent on not having one for such a long time."

"You don't have to spend your time worrying about what might happen. Not thinking about the future may be for the best in this case. Remember how I told you to handle depression?"

"One day at a time," said Gohan instantly.

"Exactly."

"She rolled over for the first time earlier."

"Really?" said Trunks excitedly.

"There's something else too... "

"What?"

"I kind of... told my mom about us," said Gohan slowly. "I don't know if she's going to keep it to herself so you'd better tell Bulma before she does."

"Oh... that'll be a fun conversation. Strictly speaking, she's not actually my real mother, but still... "

"Where _is_ your mom?" asked Gohan.

"Travelling," replied Trunks with a smile. "Now that peace has been restored, she's packed up and gone into space."

"How long has she been gone?"

"She left just before I came back here, so about a year. She said she'd be gone for about three years, so I'm not expecting her back until then."

"You miss her, don't you?" Gohan noticed Trunks' smile turn into an uneasy one.

"Yeah."

"It must be lonely sometimes."

"I'm not alone. I've got you and Nita."

"True," said Gohan, resting his head on Trunks' shoulder.

* * *

Trunks couldn't remember what he was dreaming about, despite the fact that whatever it was, he seemed quite integrated into it. But when his eyes flickered open, it was still dark. He was surprised to wake up in the middle of the night after such an exhausting day. Once his eyes could focus and he could see thanks to the city lights entering through the window, he saw Gohan beside him, wide awake with one arm above his head, staring at the ceiling.

"Can't sleep?"

Gohan's head turned sharply to his right when he realised that Trunks was awake.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" he answered in a quiet voice.

"No, why?"

"I was just checking on Nita, she's getting good at sleeping through."

Gohan sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Have you slept?"

"Not really," he said. "My brain won't shut off after last night."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about really. I just feel too wired. Maybe I'm resting a little too much." Gohan felt him kiss his shoulder, making him smile and look over to him as he lifted his head up. "Ooh... now _that's_ what I call bed hair," he laughed. Some of Trunks' hair was knotted up at the side of his head. Trunks checked it with his hand, groaning as he tried to get the knots out.

"What time is it?" asked Trunks, reaching over Gohan to turn his alarm clock around. "3.30."

"Is that all?" mumbled Gohan after lying awake for the past few hours. "Now's not the time for my insomnia to kick in."

"You could try some light training tomorrow. Tire yourself out."

Gohan turned over, playfully pushing Trunks onto his back and holding him down by his shoulders.

"Can I train with you?" he asked, giving him an amorous look.

"Somehow, I can't see us getting much training done... "

"I suppose we could try to find a cure for insomnia?" he said mischievously. Trunks had his the serious side of his brain switched on, thinking about the imminent re-ending of the world - until Gohan began kissing his mark.

"You going to leave me able to move in the morning?" he asked, silently cursing himself for not being able to say no.

"Call it a warm up if you want."

Gohan's hands moved down from his shoulders down his bare torso, feeling up and down his sides. Trunks was trying to keep himself as quiet as he possibly could... this was going to be interesting. They're lips melded into a kiss as they disappeared quietly under the covers.

* * *

Gohan woke up slowly about five minutes before the alarm clock was due to go off. It took him a second for the world to come back to him. He was curled up in bed, Trunks was still fast sleep in his arms, his head against Gohan's chest; Gohan's tail was wrapped around his waist.

Gohan could have stayed there forever, combing his fingers through his long lavender hair, listening to his deep breathing. The alarm soon sounded, bring them both out of their paradise. He turned around and switched it off quickly enough.

"Morning," said Gohan softly. Trunks let out a quiet groan as he came round - he wasn't a morning person, no matter what the circumstances. Gohan already knew this, however, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. "Come on, I wasn't that hard on you, was I?" he teased, referring to the quick fumble they found themselves in at 'stupid o'clock' this morning.

"Uuhh... I won't really know until I move."

"Move then... "

"No... "

"Move, you lazy fuck!" he laughed.

"Ooh, your Vegeta impression's improving!" taunted Trunks playfully. "Promise you won't laugh at my hair again?"

"Fine."

He raised his head at last, propping himself up on his elbows and letting Gohan remove his hair from his eyes for him as an incessant giggle burst out of him.

"This is what your promises are worth?"

"I'm sorry," chuckled Gohan. As soon as he tidied his messy hair up for him, his hand stayed where it was, playing with his hair and caressing his face. "You're just so pretty."

"Only you can to say that to me and live, you know."

"Grumpy... " remarked Gohan. "I need a shower."

Nita soon began crying in the corner of the room. Gohan jumped up out of bed, but not before throwing a pillow at Trunks, who was slowly falling asleep again. He saw her trying to wriggle around in the confined space of her basket, turning pink with frustration and upset at her lack of freedom.

"Hey, I'm here little one," he said softly as he picked her up. Gohan hugged her tight to his chest and hushed her as she clung on to him, crying as if the world had just ended. "It's okay... "

Trunks finally got out of bed, stretching as he stood up and walked over to them both. He reached out and held her little hand as she slowly calmed down.

"I think she needs a crib," said Trunks.

"Yeah... she hates not being able to move," sighed Gohan. "Always on the go, aren't you?"

Nita squeaked back at him, hiding her face in his shirt. Suddenly, there was an unexpected knock on the door. Trunks opened it to see Vegeta stood at the door way.

"Dad?"

"Is Gohan here?"

"Yeah," said Trunks, pushing the door open for him.

"Go and get ready, we start training in one hour," said Vegeta gruffly to Trunks. Trunks simply rolled his eyes, smiling at Gohan before he left the room.

"What brings you to the madhouse?" asked Gohan, still cradling Nita.

"Well, while you're still incapacitated for the next week or so, I thought I'd give you some homework."

"I'm guessing it's not the advanced trigonometry kind that I used to get?"

"Sit," ordered Vegeta, prompting Gohan to sit on the bed, lying Nita on it where they could both see her. "To be blunt, we're going to need your saiyan half in this battle."

"Absolutely not!" protested Gohan. "That's going to do more harm than good!"

"Whatever insecurities or doubts you have about it, get rid of them sharpish, because I'm not going to give you much of a choice, understand?!"

"He's a murderer, Vegeta!"

"So am I," said Vegeta. "Or have you forgotten that fact?"

"I don't know how to bring him to the surface at will. And when I do, I completely disappear, I don't remember anything that he does or how to control him."

"First thing's first. You need to stop referring to him as if he's someone else. He is you."

"I know... but it feels like he's a different person altogether," sighed Gohan, worryingly fidgeting with his hands. Vegeta sat down next to him, Gohan noticing for the first time that he had something in his hand.

"Let's get one thing clear, the first step is being able to bring your saiyan half out and shutting it away again at will," said Vegeta calmly. "But the real challenge is putting your two halves back together."

"What?!" gasped Gohan. "Do you really think that's possible. My two halves have been tearing themselves apart since I was eleven."

"I do think it's possible. You'll be a combination of the two. The one thing you'll have to be prepared for, however... are the memories that will come with him."

"Oh... that's going to be interesting... I've been thankful for the ignorance. But I guess I'll have to face it at some point," he sighed. "But how am I meant to access hi - my saiyan half? It only ever surfaces when there's no way out. It's like a defense mechanism." Vegeta than handed him a small specially made box with a Capsule Corp. logo on it.

"Don't open it yet," he warned. "Do you remember when I transformed into a Great Ape when we first met?"

"Yeah. You don't forget something like that... "

"I don't know if you remember, but I created a power ball which mimicked the full moon and allowed me to transform."

"That's what's in here?!" cried Gohan. "What if I transform? I still have my tail!"

"Inside that box is a small portion of that power ball, heavily concentrated. When you look at the moonlight to transform into a Great Ape, it brings the raw, primitive saiyan nature to the surface. A small amount of it should be able to draw your saiyan half out. Your assignment, is to find a balance between your human and saiyan identities to bring them back together and work as one single entity."

Gohan stared wide-eyed at the box in his hand. His saiyan half would surely make an appearance as he found his balance... he just realised how much havoc he could cause between now and then. This could also be the ultimate test for his relationship with Trunks... would Trunks be able to love _all_ of him?

* * *

Cell reached the far end of Hell again. He could have got there quicker via instant transmission, but opted to fly there once he'd managed to teleport from the living world. He needed to clear his head after last night.

He got to the remotest part of Hell after an hour or so of slow flying, landing in a dark rocky area, where something peculiar shone in the sky; there was a crack in the sky, which measured at only about four or five meters in length. It was emitting light, as well as discharging frequent, loud sparks which disturbed the sky around it - this was the power source causing Hell and Earth to pour into one another, and it was still generating copious amount of energy and power.

Cell stayed at a safe distance from it, tempted to absorb more of it's power, but one thing was stopping him - the image of Nita's face.

Taking in more of the energy at the rapid pace he was tempted to take it at would almost certainly disfigure him and alter his way of thinking; a huge part of him was desperate for it, to forget his feelings for her and become an all powerful source of destruction. Yet those annoying instincts were nagging at his insides, leaving his feet rooted to the ground.

"I was wondering when our paths would cross again."

The android normally wouldn't have bothered to turn around, but he was curious anyway. Pivoting slowly on his feet, his arms still folded across his chest, he turned to see Frieza standing behind him, leaning against one of the jagged rock formations that made up the hellish landscape. His skin was still tainted blue in places and he was hideously deformed thanks to absorbing the very energy that Cell was trying not to, though he was a lot less bulky since he stopped because of the dimensions being restored.

"I hoped I would never have to see your infuriating face again," remarked Cell cruelly, to which Frieza laughed quietly to himself.

"It is an amazing power to behold."

"What?"

"That isn't just any old power source, it's a tear in the fabric of the universe itself," clarified Frieza.

"So why did you stop?" asked Cell curiously, wearing an unreadable expression on his face. "Surely you would have been able to get out of here if you had that much energy."

"I may be greedy, I'll admit that. But I'm not stupid."

"I'll have to disagree with the latter," mocked Cell coolly, hitting a nerve as Frieza became angry at the android's insolence.

"If I took any more of it, I wouldn't have been myself any longer. It can corrupt the very structure of who you are once it's past a certain point. And I've reached that point."

"So why do you look a lot less mortifying than you did before?"

"I stopped to give my body time to repair itself."

Cell looked at the crackling fissure in the sky, wanting to test the limits of his very being, to see how much he could handle.

"I wonder if it will make me a different person altogether... " pondered Cell, speculating whether it would destroy the new emotions that have arose inside him, erase any trace of feeling for her. "Then again you're still the same spoiled, arrogant little brat that you always were."

"And I see that you're alive again."

"I was wished back by my creator. Goku and his friends are always so ignorant in their peace that they didn't notice."

"Where's that saiyan of yours? I would have expected him to be here plotting with you since you two are both glued at the hip. Literally," said Frieza, approaching him. Cell laughed in response as he continued studying the sky.

"Gohan isn't here. He's... got on with his life, it seems."

"What do you mean? How much time has passed on Earth? You lose track of it down here."

"It's been about six months since you were sent back here."

"So he's had the child, then?" quizzed Frieza, observing the now sullen expression on Cell's face.

"Yes... "

"And you've fallen head over heels in love with her haven't you?" taunted Frieza. "I knew you would. For someone so intelligent, you are also extremely naive."

"How's that?"

"You're part saiyan. Even if it's just the tiniest part of you. You can't ignore an instinct that primal, no matter how much you try."

"I know that now," said Cell calmly. Frieza wasn't expecting him not to rise to the bait, after all, he was trying to cause an argument out of spite for all the times that the android humiliated him.

"This is why you've been coming here, isn't it? To find a way to stop it. You like the way this power makes you feel - "

"It doesn't even compare... " said Cell, not meaning to think out loud. "It may make me feel exhilarated... but it can never match what I feel for her."

"You're considering taking more of it, aren't you? It will corrupt your very being until you are no longer who you used to be."

"And you know this from experience, do you?"

"It's not often I back down from a challenge," said Frieza. He thought this would be the last thing he'd end up doing today. If it was the antranide being the subject of Cell's attention, then Frieza wouldn't have hesitated to goad him into delving into it more. But Frieza seemed afraid of this power, and for good reason too. "After weeks of harnessing this energy, I began to lose my memories."

"That sounds appealing right now," muttered Cell.

"What you're thinking about doing is essentially suicide. You realise that?"

"Suddenly I regret dragging Gohan back into this life whenever he tried to kill himself. Now I understand why he felt that it was the only way out."

"You have three choices, the way I see it," began Frieza. "You can either go home and play happy families, which I know isn't an option no matter which way you look at it. You can exploit this power and absorb it to the point where you lose the very essence of who you are. Or we can harness this power together and become an unstoppable force... "

Cell's eyes narrowed at that last one.

"Have a good think about which one you'd rather take on," said Frieza as he walked away.

 **Looks like both Gohan and Cell have some difficult decisions to make...**

 **Please Review!**


	28. Remember

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Warning: Lots more bad language than usual in this one.**

 **CHAPTER 28: REMEMBER**

Another week seemed to fly by, most fighters noticing a disturbance beginning to occur in the atmosphere around them. At first, they all thought they were being paranoid, but with only a month to prepare, they were wondering whether training alone would be enough of a plausible plan.

Gohan had been walking around with the box that Vegeta gave him in his pocket. He took it everywhere, never leaving it lying around, even laying awake at night staring at it. There was just one problem - he hadn't opened it yet, he was too scared.

His saiyan half had been safely tucked away and left dormant in the back of his mind since the day Nita was born. Vegeta had informed him of his brief change in personality during the events of Nita's traumatic arrival into the world.

Gohan sat down in the living area that evening with a sleeping Nita in one arm. All the non-fighters were there, including his mother and his two younger brothers, of which Goten was playing with Trunks in the corner. As much as the youngsters' help may have been required, Bulma and Chi Chi had absolutely refused to allow them to fight. Not yet, not while the world was in danger.

Chi Chi sat down next to her eldest, Haru in her arms babbling away. She had noticed a change in Gohan in the past week; even though he had physically healed after Cell's latest assault on him, he became more distant from her. Chi Chi admitted, that Gohan normally kept himself to himself these days, and she appreciated that now more than ever, but he was unusually quiet and withdrawn.

"Gohan, sweetie," she began quietly, making sure not to draw attention to them. "Have you been feeling okay?"

"Hm? Oh... yeah, I'm fine, why?" he answered, the plain tone of his voice not reassuring her.

"You're just so... quiet. Is it your depression again?" she asked carefully. Gohan was grateful for her genuine concern after they'd been burying his problems for the past five years, but he just smiled back softly.

"No, it's not. I promise," he said.

"Then what's bothering you?"

"When there's something that could be detrimental to saving the world, but you don't want to have to face it... what do you do?" he asked, his voice trembling. Chi Chi raised her eyebrows at Gohan's rather cryptic question, it wasn't what she was expecting.

"Is it Cell?"

"No... "

"Well... I guess, for the sake of the world, you need to stop running and face whatever it is. Because I hate seeing you tear yourself apart."

Gohan just smiled back weakly, not revealing the irony of her statement - he was already torn apart within his mind. But for once... she was right. Soon after, the fighters came into the room after their training, prompting Chi Chi to take Nita from Gohan and put her in her new crib that she'd been sleeping in for the past few nights; Chi Chi was now aware of where Gohan and Nita had been staying. She hadn't told Bulma about Gohan and Trunks, feeling that it wasn't her place. Clearly Trunks hadn't got round to it yet, going by the fact that Bulma hadn't mentioned it at all. What she was more happy about was what Gohan had managed to gain all on his own - he had his own little family.

A few of them left the room when all the fighters sat down, only Bulma and Master Roshi staying behind. Gohan was obviously oblivious to what was going on when Vegeta and Goku were both looking at him.

"Have you got the box with you?" asked Vegeta.

"Oh... yeah, it's here," said Gohan, taking it out of his pocket.

"How is it going? Have you managed to draw anything out from it yet?" quizzed Goku.

"Um, no... I haven't opened it yet."

"You what?!" shouted Vegeta. "Why the hell not?!"

"I'm too scared, okay!"

"You need to let go of your insecurities for this to work, Gohan! The universe itself depends on this!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Piccolo. Only Goku and Vegeta knew of Gohan's assignment.

"It's about time they knew, Gohan," said Goku. Gohan shook his head, running his hand through his hair to try and hide his face. "It might help you if we know what to look for. Then if something's amiss, we'll know it's not really you and we can help you get your control back."

"Okay," said Gohan, breathing slowly.

"Is someone going to tell us what's happening?" complained Krillin. Gohan began fidgeting with the box, tossing it between his fingers; it was the only way he could cope without breaking again.

"I have two personalities," said Gohan, partly feeling relieved that he'd got that out in the open. Though they all looked rather confused, Piccolo's brain finally clicked - this was why Gohan's energy had been so distorted for some time. "I'm half human and half saiyan, but about a year ago, those two halves split and now I've got two people inside my head. One of them is me, and the other is my saiyan half." Gohan paused while they all took that in, they were shocked to say the least.

"The saiyan half has been dormant for a while now, but within this box is the energy that can draw his saiyan half out. The purpose of this is to essentially put his two halves together again," said Vegeta. "Your saiyan half has something you are lacking - he's confident!"

"I can't let him out... " said Gohan, determined to keep his other personality away from his friends.

"You have to. If not for yourself, then for the world. Think of Nita," said Goku gently. Gohan was looking at Trunks now and again, who was sat at the opposite end of the room. Trunks was looking at him as if to say that everything was going to be alright. _You don't have to do this alone, Gohan._ "We can help you if your other half gets out of control."

"What's your saiyan half like?" asked Piccolo.

"Some of you have seen it before," said Gohan, mentally apologising to Trunks more than most. He didn't remember it, but from what he gathered, his saiyan half practically pounced on him. He was also sorry for Jeice, who had seen a lot of his cruel attitude.

"He's a pure blooded saiyan, more so thanks to the tail," said Vegeta.

"He's a raving lunatic," said Gohan. "He's manipulative, vile and above all else, he's a killer... " Gohan's eyebrows knitted together when he realised something. "Wow... no wonder Cell liked him so much."

"Cell's familiar with it?" asked Goku. "Was it him in control while you were together?"

"Nope... sorry to disappoint, but that was all me," sighed Gohan. "But when he did surface, it made things more interesting. Cell used to call him 'my evil twin'. You sure you still want me to draw him out? Because I promise you, you aren't going to like what you see. You can pretend that it's someone else all you like, but at the end of the day, he's me. The part of me I never wanted anyone to see."

"We all have our dark sides, Gohan," reassured Trunks. Gohan looked over to him; he knew that Trunks had another side to him that nobody had seen apart from him. While everyone else saw a brave, humble, relatively quiet person, Gohan knew that it wasn't all as straight forward as that; Trunks was a recovering depressive and self-harmer, and he still had nightmares almost every night, some of which he'd wake up crying from.

"It's time to face yours," said Vegeta, him also carrying his own past demons. "And you _will_ come out on the other side. Because you're a stubborn little brat."

Gohan laughed weakly, gearing himself up to open the box.

"Do you want to do this privately?" asked Goku. Gohan nodded, letting his father lead him out and into the gravity chamber. The other fighters sat there in silence, taking it all in, imagining what Gohan's saiyan half would be like in full swing.

"Try not to agitate him when he comes out," warned Vegeta. "Don't indulge him, don't let him get under your skin, and don't even look at him funny."

"Like we do with you?" remarked Yamcha as they all got up to leave.

"Precisely, moron."

As everyone filed out of the room to do their own thing after the hard day of training, Vegeta walked over to Bulma and Trunks, who was sat leaning against the wall staring into the distance. "Trunks, you be careful especially."

"Why?" asked Trunks, looking worried.

"Gohan's saiyan half is driven just like any other saiyan. At his age, he's calculating and promiscuous. And as his mate, he will target you."

"His mate? What are you talking about?" asked Bulma, only catching the last part.

"Thanks for that, dad," said Trunks sarcastically.

"I don't give a fuck who knows and who doesn't. It doesn't bother me," yelled Vegeta. "But take my advice, _when_ he approaches you, you absolutely cannot let him have his way. When it comes to saiyan sexuality at this primitive level, you have to assert yourself and take control. Or else he might even kill you. You have to ensure that you have his respect and that he's completely loyal to you. Much like his human half."

"What?! I don't understand, what are you going on about, Vegeta?" cried Bulma, stopping still when she caught sight of the guilty look on Trunks' face. "Trunks, is there something you've not told me?"

"Does he really need to spell it out for you, woman?!" spat Vegeta.

"Trunks?"

Trunks didn't say anything, believing that the situation couldn't get any more awkward. He ran his hand through his hair, not really knowing where to start.

"He and the brat are romantically involved," said Vegeta as if it was a passing comment. "And don't think I feel any better about the fact that you've been laying with a third class!"

Vegeta merely folded his arms as he leaned against the wall, leaving Trunks feeling rather awkward as he avoided eye contact with Bulma.

"Trunks, why didn't you tell me?" asked Bulma, calming down a little.

"I didn't know how to," said Trunks. It was an honest answer at least. "We've been together for about three months. We've been pretty quiet about it, Gohan's only just told Chi Chi."

"Are you sure you know what you're doing? Gohan's not exactly stable, like what we just heard... it's scary. And it's now scaring me even more that you're in danger!"

"He's not dangerous mom, he's just lost."

"And you know that for certain do you?"

"Yes. Because I've been there," said Trunks. "Gohan needs help, that's all. And both of us knew when we got together that it wasn't going to be an easy ride, but - "

"What do you mean you've been there?" asked Vegeta aggressively. Trunks just sighed.

"Leave it," he answered quietly.

"No, come on. You've been there. What do you mean by that?"

"I'm just saying that I understand how hard it is for him." Trunks pulled himself onto his feet to leave before things got more out of hand.

"How? How could you possibly know that?"

"I don't have to tell you anything!"

"What aren't you telling me, boy!" shouted Vegeta. Bulma tried to cut in but her protests were ignored. "Don't tell me you're just as weak minded as he is?"

"You really want to know? Fine! I used to cut myself, just like Gohan did!" Trunks instantly regretted letting out his darkest secret as soon as he received almost a disappointed look from Vegeta, but it didn't conceal his shock. His father said nothing in return, storming out of the room. Trunks let out a growl, pulling his own hair before punching the wall, but not enough to break through it.

"Trunks... Trunks, sit down," said Bulma softly, carefully lowering him onto the sofa with her. Trunks was close to tears, but managed to hold them back. "It's okay."

"It's not... it's really not. I don't know what to do."

"About your father?"

"Pff... I didn't expect him to embrace me and tell me that everything was going to be alright," he replied cynically. "It's not about him. I don't know how to help Gohan. How can I still be open with him without worrying that he's going to turn on me. And if he does, he's going to feel worse than ever... what if this just sets him off again!"

"Whoa, slow down... help me out here."

"I can't watch him try to hurt himself again. There was so much blood... it's different when it's your own, but when you see it on someone else it really hits home."

Bulma could see Trunks turning away again, shutting himself down.

"Trunks, come on. Don't shut me out, you clearly need to talk to somebody. Keeping all of this bottled up isn't helping you."

"Sorry... it's just always been something I've had to do. I've not exactly had many people to talk to in my life."

"Better late than never. When did all this happen, I thought he stopped... "

"Cell got to him a few weeks back. I found him in his room, and he was trying to kill himself. I managed to drag him into the bathroom to clean him up, but he kept pushing me away. I'm surprised nobody heard us, we were screaming at each other... eventually, I got him to calm down. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do... and I've spent a whole year alone in a room with _dad._ "

"Trunks, you saved his life."

"It took him so long to get better. I don't think I can watch him do that to himself again."

"This is probably the hardest thing Gohan's ever going to have to face. And by the sounds of it, the person he's going to look to for help is you. No matter which of his personalities is in control."

"What am I meant to do if his saiyan half comes at me? I don't want to hurt him."

"You'll just have to find a way to make him trust you. Just be there, Trunks."

"What if I'm too late?"

"It's never too late. From the way Gohan's bounced back after being attacked last week, I believe that he's a lot stronger than you think. And to me, Vegeta's exaggerating."

"You think so?"

* * *

It worked like a charm.

But Goku and Vegeta didn't expect him to be so quiet. Gohan was sat on the floor with them in silence, leaning against the wall lazily as they interrogated him with their eyes. They both knew that he's changed, they sensed the switch immediately as Gohan's unstable energy shifted.

"Do you know where you are?" asked Goku finally.

"Yep."

"And what day it is?"

"I'm not concussed... " said Gohan, looking back at him funny.

"No... no you're not. I just don't really know where we're supposed to go from here... "

"Where's my daughter?" he asked abruptly.

"She's with your mother."

"I want to see her."

"I don't think now's the best time, do you?" said Vegeta.

"Who asked you?"

Goku looked back and forth between them, thinking that the last thing they needed was _two_ Vegetas in one room.

"Gohan, you need to focus. Do you remember anything that's happened since you were last around?" he asked bravely, trying not to look a little shaken by his son.

"Bits and pieces, I guess," shrugged Gohan.

"You need to find the other half, Gohan. Sooner rather than later."

Gohan just sighed, seemingly avoiding that request altogether as he stood up.

"Where do you think you're going?!" yelled Vegeta as Gohan walked towards the door as if they weren't in the room.

"I've got better things to do than this shit," he scoffed in return as he headed out, leaving Goku and Vegeta dumbfounded by his attitude.

"Let's hope Trunks has better luck than we do," said Vegeta, feeling a little disheartened as he thought about his own son after his earlier outburst.

"Trunks? What makes you think Gohan's heading for him?"

"Well, we've refused him access to his child. Who do you think is the next person he's going to go looking for?"

* * *

"Hey, beautiful."

Trunks froze where he was. His jacket was half-folded in his arms as he turned around to see Gohan leaning against the door.

"Hey," he answered nervously. He was secretly hoping to avoid him for a few more hours while he got his head around the change... but as he looked at him, he felt the same as ever - he looked like Gohan, sounded like him, and even smelled like him.

"What's a nice guy like you doing here... all alone... " he joked. Trunks indulged him, laughing back. It was strange, they still looked and smelled the same, but now he sounded like someone else - or a more confident, abrasive version of himself.

"Hiding, I guess," said Trunks in response. He decided to be completely honest, Gohan would know if he was pretending.

"Did I scare you?"

"What?"

"Last time you saw me. Sorry if I was a bit... forward."

"It's... uh... fine... " Trunks was avoiding eye contact with him as he came closer, staying where he was when he felt Gohan's hand place itself on top of his. "So... what's next for, you know... everything?"

"I don't know... " he shrugged in response, his voice and facial expression completely unreadable. "Play it out, see if I can pull any repressed memories out, I guess."

"Right," said Trunks, looking down at Gohan's hand, which was stroking his own affectionately. He felt Gohan's other hand suddenly appear on his face, holding it as he received a gentle kiss on the cheek. "What were you saying about being forward?" Gohan laughed.

"If I was being forward, you'd be screaming my name by now," he whispered against his ear. Trunks should have known. This Gohan was only after one thing - and Trunks had to either resist, or beat him at his own game.

"It's funny... you sound the same but you don't." Trunks gasped when Gohan deliberately brushed his lips against his mark; he half expected it not to feel right, but it sent familiar sparks through him instead like it usually did. Trunks tried to regain his composure, remembering what Vegeta said to him before their altercation; he had to be the one in control, even if the feather light kisses he was receiving along his neck were starting to drive him mad.

"Is it turning you on?"

"What gave you the impression that I was easy?"

"I don't see you pushing me away."

Trunks suddenly did exactly that, shoving him against the nearest wall by his shoulders. Gohan certainly didn't see it coming. Trunks didn't like having to be so rough and heavy handed with him, having grown used to always being affectionate and as open as he possibly could.

"Ow... that hurt... I kind of like it," he giggled ominously; he grabbed onto Trunks' belt and started to undo it, but his hands were promptly ripped away and held up against the wall at either side of his head.

"Behave yourself," scolded Trunks lightly, getting a rush out of it.

"Go on then, _discipline_ me. Or I could discipline you instead... "

"I don't think you're in a position to be making threats."

"I can name a few we could try if you want to fix that - " Trunks pulled Gohan towards him and slammed him back into the wall again to shut him up, earning a painful grunt out of him. "You can't convince me that you don't want this. I can see it in those pretty eyes. And I can kind of feel it too... "

"You talk _way_ too much... " he said in return. Trunks was struggling with his own instincts, his body telling him to go for it. He didn't want to sleep with him while he was like this, but Gohan wasn't giving him much choice.

Gohan managed to catch him off guard, shoving him away as hard as he could. But since he wasn't used to being the half in control, and due to Trunks having been training while he hadn't, his efforts were proven futile as he found himself back against the wall. He was about to answer back with something foul until Trunks suddenly crashed their lips together. Trunks finally let go of his arms, letting them circle around his neck. He shook Gohan a few times as he continued to fight him, trying to lead the kiss. Gohan seemed to be relenting at last until they pulled apart.

"Fuck me, Trunks."

"Don't tell me what to do," said Trunks, trying to play along but ignoring how tempting that request was.

"Come on... I won't stop you."

"Now who's being easy?"

"Ooh, didn't think you had that in you," laughed Gohan. Trunks let him go again and took a step back. Deep down he knew the inevitable outcome of this. Then he began to wonder if he had the ability to listen to his own saiyan half as well, at least to get him through this. But it still felt like another excuse to give in. "You're doing that thing that _he_ does... "

"What thing?"

"Feeling bad when you don't have to."

"Don't try to... stop that."

Trunks was smiling, and cursing himself for it as he tried to ignore the invasive hand that found himself between his legs. Gohan annoyed him further with that insolent laughing. He was pushed backwards until the edge of his bed caught him, causing him to fall onto it. He managed to keep himself upright at least, watching Gohan's every move.

"Gohan... " he said in a warning tone as he got down on his knees in front of him.

"Yeah?"

He tried to object, but the next thing he felt was Gohan's hands untying his belt again.

"Gohan! Stop... " he gasped, not really meaning it.

"Say it like you mean it... lover," he purred. Trunks shuddered as his mouth finally engulfed him, completely clouding his judgement.

"Oh, fuck it," he sighed. He slid his hand around to the back of Gohan's head, pushing it down on him him gently. He also did something he'd never thought to do in the past, untying Gohan's long dark hair curiously and letting it fall out of it's usual place. At least it gave Trunks something else to grab onto...

* * *

 _Switch_

The last thing Gohan remembered was opening that damned box. Now he was in bed. And it was morning. And all he could see was a mound of tatty purple hair in front of him, making him noticed that his own hair was just as untamed. He was spooned up against Trunks, who was still fast asleep, judging by his deep breathing. Their arms and legs were tangled together and they were both naked, which told Gohan that they weren't exactly playing video games last night. He started to panic.

"Trunks?" he whispered. He used the arm that was hooked under Trunks' to gently nudge him.

"Hm?" he mumbled as the world came back to him slowly.

"What happened?"

"Um... what?"

Gohan was reminded that Trunks wasn't a morning person. He kept his arm around his torso, not wanting to let him go for the rest of his life as he felt so insecure and uneasy about everything at that moment. Trunks finally responded to him, turning himself around onto his back so that he could see him.

"You don't remember anything?"

"No... I can't," fretted Gohan. He let out a frustrated growl, prompting Trunks to step in.

"Gohan... calm down, it's okay," he said firmly, untangling one of his arms and cupping the side of his face. "Remember what your father told you. You have to remember. So concentrate."

"But what if - "

"Nothing bad happened, I promise."

Gohan slowed his breathing down, controlling his anxiety and pretending that it was just like any other morning. Images of the night before began returning to him gradually. It was different from his previous returns to reality, no longer feeling the need to block any remote reminders of what his saiyan half did. It was like the wall between them had a hole ripped into it. He could see again.

"Hey... I can remember... "

"Yeah?" smiled Trunks warmly, still holding his face and tracing his thumb over his cheek in a comforting manner.

"Oh... " said Gohan with a weird look on his face; he was remembering everything now. "Oooh... I like _you._ " Trunks' warm smile turned into a dirty one as he started laughing. "Did we really... "

"Uh... yep."

"Oh, that's naughty."

"It was your idea!" he laughed.

"Wow, you really put me in my place, didn't you?"

"That's progress. You're not talking about him like he's not you."

Gohan kissed him passionately, brushing their noses together as he pulled back.

"Do you really have to train today?" he groaned hopelessly. Trunks gave him an odd 'fuck it' look before answering.

"You know what? No I don't."

"Why, what happened?" Gohan knew that look all too well, it was hardwired into him.

"I'll tell you about it later. I just want to stay here all day," sighed Trunks, bringing Gohan down to rest on him in his arms.

"Sounds like a plan to me... "

* * *

Gohan actually felt different today, more reassured about his situation now that he'd began to gain access to all of his brain. But as he caught sight of the clock for the first time since he woke up, he was pulled out of his bubble of ignorance.

He was about to say something about it until Trunks rolled into him a little harder than before. They were sat up on their knees, Gohan relying fully on Trunks to stop himself from toppling forwards and melting away. He leaned back against him, feeling safe and secure in those warm arms wrapped around his torso lovingly. Gohan's tail was wrapped around Trunk's waist in return, keeping him as close to him as possible.

Gohan was starting to lose it again, fast approaching yet another orgasm. They were both tired and overstimulated, but neither of them wanted to stop; they wanted to stay right there, getting to know every single thing they could about each other. It wasn't often they did it with Gohan facing away from him, but they'd built up enough trust for him to feel secure enough to do it without thinking that someone else was there. Gohan supposed that the events of the night before saw to that more than anything.

It wasn't as if Trunks was that far away from him though; he was right up against him, rolling his hips against Gohan at a short, rapid pace. He was starting to lose himself too.

"I love you... " he whispered into his ear. Gohan tried to say it back but couldn't form the words, feeling Trunks smile wickedly against him. "Sorry, I didn't catch that... "

"Fuck y-you," stuttered Gohan, not hiding his own widening smile. Trunks noticed an improvement; even though Gohan's human half was in control, some of his saiyan side seemed to be seeping through at last. It was a start, at least. Their moaning was silent up until that moment, Trunks retaliating with more vigorous movements until he heard Gohan's voice start to make itself known.

Suddenly, they heard noise in the hallway outside. Some of the fighters were passing through. Trunks glanced over at his alarm clock, it was lunch time, and no doubt people would be wondering why he hadn't shown up that day for training. Not that he cared. The noise outside distracted Gohan a little, worrying that someone was going to knock on the door to look for them. Trunks wasn't too concerned since he'd remembered to lock it.

"Sshh... " he hushed softly into Gohan's ear, still purposely thrusting into him. Gohan was thinking of something witty to say back, having trouble controlling himself; Trunks had been playfully tormenting him all day, probably getting his own back after the events of last night. "They'll hear you."

"Fuck off," he grunted through his teeth. Gohan felt him shift over to the right a little, hitting him at a different angle and making him figuratively hit the ceiling. A short scream escaped his lips for a half a second, prompting Trunks to finally stop and throw his hand over Gohan's mouth to shut him up. They kept as still as they could, praying that nobody heard it.

The noise finally died down after a few seconds, signalling that everyone had gone past, making Trunks burst out laughing, along with Gohan as soon as Trunks removed his hand from his face.

"That was your fault," giggled Gohan.

"Mm," said Trunks, kissing his shoulder. "I love when you scream."

"You're a sadistic motherfu- "

Trunks let go of his arms, making Gohan's already unstable body collapse onto all fours with a gentle shove. Gohan felt hands on his hips, hands that he trusted more than anything else; they gripped onto him as Trunks began pounding him mercilessly.

"Say my name," said Trunks in a playful tone.

"Bastard!" he scoffed back at him. Trunks smirked at his insolent backchat and leaned over him, yanking his head back by his hair.

"Say it!"

"Fuck you," laughed Gohan, still playing along. He liked this game. Trunks gave a few more thrusts before stopping to catch his breath. He bent down over Gohan, trailing wet kisses and hickeys on his back. Gohan twitched, not meaning to let out a short whimper when Trunks' long hair tickled him as it was draped over his back.

"What was that?"

"Not your name," teased Gohan with a smug grin on his face. Trunks giggled into his ear as he leaned further forward, taking a good handful of his dark hair and yanking it back again.

"Fine... I'll have to _make_ you."

Gohan dove into his thoughts for that witty comeback before being torn out of them again. Trunks wasn't holding back this time, hitting him harder and harder until Trunks finally got what he wanted. He leaned over again until he was lying on top of him, holding him close as they both finally climaxed together. He turned over, bringing Gohan with him until he was on his side, spooned up against him.

"And I thought I _wasn't_ getting a workout today," he panted.

"Fuck... " sighed Gohan in return, before letting out a laugh. Despite not being able to feel his legs, he was quite giddy. He managed to shuffle around onto his back, kissing Trunks with the last of his energy. "I love you."

"Are you okay?" asked Trunks softly.

"I'm fine... I never thought I'd like it that rough."

"Really?"

"I thought it was going to hurt," said Gohan honestly. Trunks had always been quite careful with him up until now.

"It doesn't have to."

"Well, I know that now," he laughed, pulling him into another kiss. It was then that there was finally a knock on the door.

"You two! Get your sorry asses out here!" yelled Vegeta. They just lay there giggling quietly before finally getting out of bed.

* * *

\- Two Weeks Later -

It was safe to say that Vegeta's plan had worked. Gohan's energy was becoming more stable as the days went by, he was even training again. Even everyone around him had noticed how different he'd become - actually, similar to how he used to be when he was younger, but with the added life experience. But Gohan still felt on edge, like he wasn't really getting better, constantly anxious that he was going to fall back down again at any moment.

He found himself heading to Bulma for answers one morning when he lay awake all night thinking about it.

"Bulma?"

"Oh hey, Gohan," she said pleasantly. She was in her lab as usual, doing her part for the imminent chaos.

"Do you know much about... mental health?"

"A little, I guess. Why, what's bothering you?"

Bulma led him to sit down next to her.

"I feel better... " he said with a confused look on his face.

"And that's _bothering_ you?"

"I don't know! After feeling so lost for so long, I'm not used to being... well, normal. It's like I'm not depressed anymore."

"That's a good thing, Gohan."

"But I don't understand! Why is it gone, just like that?"

"Completely gone?"

"Well no, I still have my moments," he said. "But it's no where near as bad... I don't think about hurting myself anymore."

"This might be a hunch, but maybe the depression was actually a warning sign of your split personality."

Gohan's eyes widened. Everything suddenly made sense.

"So I really am getting better?"

"I do think you have depression, especially after everything you went through, but it was exacerbated by the underlying problem."

"I don't know what to say," laughed Gohan, shocked at the prospect of a normal-ish life.

"You're doing so well, Gohan."

* * *

"I think we're _not_ supposed to be in here," said Gohan. The gravity chamber was empty.

"Huh, maybe that message got a little garbled," remarked Trunks as he placed his sword against the wall.

"Who told you we were supposed to meet here?"

"Uuh Krillin, I think."

"Did he say to meet at the gravity chamber?"

"Yeah, at 1pm."

"... It's not 1pm, Trunks," laughed Gohan.

"Wait, what?"

"We've not even had lunch yet."

"Hey, I never said I was the smart one out of the two of us!" joked Trunks.

"Fair point," answered Gohan. He looked over at the control panel, staring at the settings. "Which one does Vegeta _claim_ to train at? 300 times normal gravity, my ass."

Gohan heard Trunks laugh, but then he heard him choke. He turned around to see blood on the floor. His eyes trailed up Trunks' body to see his sword sticking out of his abdomen; he'd been stabbed from behind - by Frieza.

"TRUNKS!"

"He really isn't too clever, is he?" chuckled Frieza, who was back to full strength; his muscles were bulked out, stretching his skin like it was before - he was draining the power source again. He yanked the sword out of Trunks' back brutally, dragging it all the way through him and tearing up his insides even more on the way out. Gohan's feet came unglued from the floor, he darted out catch him as he fell forwards, blood seeping out of his wound slowly.

"Hold on, I've got you," he said desperately, ignoring Frieza and guiding Trunks to the floor with him. Trunks was shaking uncontrollably, grunting painfully with every movement, but feeling weaker by the second. Gohan put his hand on the wound on Trunks' stomach to try and stop the bleeding, panicking when he remembered that there was also one on his back. The sword had gone right through him.

"But who's got you?"

His eyes widened at the sound of that voice. Cradling his lover in his arms, he slowly looked behind him to see Cell standing over him looking more menacing than ever.

Gohan froze - he was surrounded.

 **Another evil cliffhanger right there. A nice mixture of lightheartedness with a good ruthless ending.**

 **The next chapter is going to be extremely brutal, just to warn you. And I've planned out the rest of this story! The end is nigh, but how will it play out?**


	29. Mercy

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Warning: This chapter contains a graphic violence and rape. Feel free to skip to the end if it's not for you.**

 **CHAPTER 29: MERCY**

Trunks looked pale and clammy. Blood was leaking out of him and collecting on the floor, but he was still awake. His vision was blurring and his breathing was rapid since his heart was working hard to replace the blood that he was steadily losing. It had just hit him that Frieza and Cell had surrounded them. He wanted to stand up, grab Gohan and run, but the darkness collecting in his peripheral vision was much more alluring.

The feeling finally returned to Gohan's body again, Cell and Frieza noticing his sudden silence.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Cell calmly, sensing that Gohan was about to send out a warning to his friends. Backed into a corner, Gohan did as he was told, lowering his ki again. "Put him on the floor."

"What?"

"Put Trunks on the floor," he repeated.

Gohan shakily obeyed again, carefully placing his injured companion on the cold tiles. He kissed him on the forehead, gathering up all the courage he could with his new found inner strength. _I can do this..._ The determined look on his face melted away into a horrified one as he stood up, finally looking at Cell properly.

"You look terrible," he said almost sympathetically. And he did. Cell didn't look as disfigured as Frieza, maintaining his more human height and shape that he'd had for the past few years. But the white of his skin was covered in thin, blue veins and his eyes were redder. And if anything, he looked more withered than he did before, but held himself differently; he was confident and stronger - and by the looks of it, severely deranged. The power had literally driven him insane.

"I don't feel terrible," answered Cell. "Not anymore."

"What have you done to yourself?!"

"We've got the energy of reality itself running through us," said Frieza. "He was lost before he found it. And now he has a new purpose."

"What? The same one as before?" mocked Gohan, feeling nervous as they closed in on him.

"I can see everything," said Cell. "Everyone."

"What makes me so special that you had to drag yourselves all the way back here? Why can't you leave me alone?"

"Because _you_ made me feel," said the android dangerously. "And that is unforgivable."

"If you want to take that out on me, then fine!" yelled Gohan. "Just let me get Trunks some help. He's got nothing to do with this!"

"Oh he does," said Frieza. "Both of us getting to spend time with our respective murderers and overpowering them. It's quite poetic."

"Stay away from him!"

"Gohan!" coughed Trunks, propping himself up on his elbow. "Get out of here!"

"Hm, maybe I shouldn't have stabbed you right away," remarked Frieza. "Who knew that one little wound would be enough to finish you off. Weakling!"

"I'm not dead yet!"

"Leave him alone, Frieza!" demanded Gohan. Frieza gave him an insolent smirk in return, making Gohan's blood boil.

"You aren't in a position to be demanding things," said Cell, approaching him ominously.

"Then what do you want?"

"To teach you two saiyan monkeys a lesson you won't forget in a hurry!" yelled Frieza.

Cell rushed towards Gohan and punched him in the stomach, taking him completely by surprise and knocking the wind out of him. He doubled over, coughing as he got his breath back.

"For all that training you've done, that was a poor effort. Where was your guard?" he mocked. "And where's your evil twin? Doesn't he usually turn up in a crisis?"

"Present," croaked Gohan arrogantly, standing up straight again. Cell looked confused for a second, not receiving the usual vibes that he would normally get from his saiyan half; in fact, his energy felt different altogether - stable. "We're one person again."

"You're lying... " he sneered in return, before realising that he actually wasn't. "How is that possible?"

"Why do you care?!" snapped Gohan angrily. "What the hell possessed you to do this to yourself?!"

"It was the only way... "

Gohan saw a slight flicker of regret appear in Cell's now crimson coloured eyes; it vanished as quickly as it came.

"Teaming up with Frieza too? This is low, even for you."

"I'll tell you what's low - diminishing yourself to devoting your life to someone else. I prefer having this power over feeling pathetic _human_ emotions. They're a weakness. You... are so weak."

"Give up, saiyan," laughed Frieza. Gohan turned around to face him, feeling his rage build up as he stood over Trunks, who was now trying to move.

"Even with all the crap you've put me through, I'm still here. What makes you think I'm going to give up so easily after all that?"

The tyrant went straight for Trunks, kicking him in the back where one of his wounds was. The sound of his screams prompted Gohan to dart forwards to stop him. He shoved Frieza out of the way in his anger, putting his guard up ready to fight him - until he was grabbed from behind.

"Get off!" he growled, violently jerking his body around to try get out of Cell's grasp.

"I like when you struggle," he said menacingly. Cell used more of his strength to subdue the aggravated saiyan in his arms, managing to hook on of his arms around Gohan's neck to cut off some of his air until he finally stopped moving. "You're going to keep still, or else this is going to hurt more than it should."

Gohan wondered what he was talking about, until he saw Frieza approach him with a syringe in his hand. He struggled again but Cell kept him firmly in place, using his free hand to pull Gohan's arm out ready to receive whatever was inside. His arm tensed as he tried to move it - but it was no use.

"This should relax you. You're quite partial to antranide aren't you?" sneered Frieza. "I've always wondered what the affects were if administered intravenously. This should be interesting."

Gohan tried to wriggle out of the android's grasp again, but now Frieza also had a hold on his outstretched arm as he found vein. He grunted when the needle pierced his skin. He tried to fight it, convinced that it was going to kill him since he'd never had it injected into him like this before. It felt like it scorched his veins at first, his arm burning on the inside. He managed to kick Frieza away, making the syringe fall to the ground. Only a quarter of it's contents was in it's system, but then it finally hit him after a few painful seconds.

He was high. Higher than he'd ever been before.

Cell let him go, feeling his energy falter, as well as sensing that he was weaker than before. He didn't have to see his face to know what it looked like. Gohan took a few steps forward before collapsing onto his hands and knees. His breathing was off, he squeezed his eyes shut to try get a hold of himself, but he felt reality slipping away. He shuffled forwards towards Trunks, but there was one problem. He couldn't feel the floor under him anymore.

"There's no point in fighting it, Gohan," said Cell. "You should know that."

Gohan managed to crawl a little more before his perceptions finally clouded over. Now there was nothing. He fell onto his side, not even feeling his body hitting the ground.

"Gohan... " gasped Trunks, sliding across the floor a little more to meet him. Moving was excruciating, but he managed to reach him, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning him to lay on his back. Gohan's eyes were like glass; if Trunks hadn't heard him breathing, then he would have thought that he was dead. "Come on, snap out of it!" he cried, shaking him a little. Gohan blinked once at the feeling of being roused out of his intoxicated state, but that was all.

"Give it a few minutes. That was probably a shock to the system," said Frieza.

"True. Because you dosed him too much," snarled Cell.

Trunks shook him again, not seeing the android's foot head towards him, kicking him full force in the face. He felt his lip split and he was pretty sure that his cheekbone was fractured... but none of that compared to the pain in his abdomen. His insides were shredded from the angle that the blade went in. Blood was still draining from both ends of his wound. He was starting to feel cold.

"I thought we agreed, Cell," said Frieza, not that he didn't enjoy seeing Trunks in so much agony. "You can't have _both_ of them. That's extremely unfair."

"I know," smirked Cell, before kneeling down to their level. Gohan was only just starting to come around again. "That was for taking things that don't belong to you, Trunks."

Cell stood up again, chuckling when Gohan finally moved, rolling onto his front and trying to push himself up with his hands.

"Gohan? Are you okay?" asked Trunks, hoping the sight of his bruised face wouldn't shock him too much.

"I hate this stuff... " he droned lazily, his vision still doubling. He tried to remember what was going on, sensing that Cell and Frieza were still there with them. His limbs felt like jelly and everything was still lagging. There was a heavy fuzziness surrounding him like he was drunk, but he was still aware of the situation, willing himself to grab Trunks and make a break for it.

"You lived for it once."

Gohan's eyes widened at the sound of Cell's voice. He was grabbed from behind again, being pulled up onto his feet by his arms.

"Trunks!" he cried as he was dragged off the floor. Trunks tried to follow him, but his injuries held him back. And then Frieza stood over him threateningly.

"Don't worry, you won't be bored."

Gohan could do nothing but watch as Trunks was kicked and punched repeatedly. He did his best to block them, but the blood loss was draining his strength severely.

"Stop it!" he shouted desperately. Cell was surprised that Gohan seemed to be fighting the affects of the drug. But he didn't want him to become too lucid... not yet.

"This is all your fault, you know," he hissed into Gohan's ear. "You destroy everything you touch."

He turned Gohan around before smacking him in the face, sending him crashing to the floor again, landing on his stomach. He felt the ground this time, but the whole experience made his head spin. All he could hear was Frieza shouting at Trunks as he laid into him. Cell got onto his knees behind him, pulling Gohan's head up harshly by his hair.

"Once again, it's the people that you love the most that have to suffer," said Cell quietly.

"Please, let him go," begged Gohan, not caring that he was pleading for mercy.

"Trunks is getting everything he has coming to him. And so are you... "

Gohan was shoved back down again, his face pressed against the cold tiled floor. The drugs hit him again, he lost all feeling in his body for a moment. He didn't struggle when Cell began pulling at his clothes. He only noticed that something was amiss when he was pulled up onto his knees, the lower half of his body still slumped over.

"Too bad that I had to drug you... I wanted to you to feel this."

Gohan cried out when he felt something totally unexpected; Cell was inside him. He was completely unprepared for it, causing it to hurt him terribly.

 _No... no, no, please... not again!_

He pretended that it wasn't happening to him again, wanting the drugs to take hold and make it all go away until was over. But when the android pulled out and slid back in again, it stung. Gohan tried to claw at the tiled floor to ease the pain and humiliation, but when that didn't work, he buried his face in his arms, clinging onto his own hair in handfuls.

"Come on, Gohan. I thought you like it rough," said the android mockingly between thrusts. All Gohan gave back was the odd grunt or whimper as Cell increased his pace, all of which were muffled as his head was still hidden in his arms; he was biting down hard on his own hand to keep himself from crying out.

Trunks was thrown around the room again, finally landing in a heap on the floor in front of Gohan. He landed on his front, his blood now splattered all over the gravity chamber. He was beaten badly, covered in bruises and small cuts. He was feeling weaker by the second. He pushed himself up again by his hands, ignoring the searing pain radiating through the clean hole in his torso as much as he could, determined not to give in to these monsters.

But what he saw in front of him alone was enough to defeat him.

Gohan could feel Trunks looking at him without even seeing it for himself, but he couldn't bare to bring his face out of hiding, not with Cell violating him at the same time. Each move the android made caused his body to seize up in pain. He was shaking, trying not to cry. The drugs were helping somewhat, he was partly thankful that he was given something to take the edge off, but he wondered - would he have been able to fight back if he was at full strength?

This was the third time this had happened to him, and it was the same person doing it to him again; he should have known what to do about it by now... he should have seen it coming. Gohan continued to lay into himself mentally as the assault on his body continued. Though Trunks' voice suddenly brought him out of his darkening thoughts.

"What are you doing?! Let him go!" shouted Trunks, not even meaning to. He tried to go for Cell with all of the strength he had left, but Frieza held him back, slamming his foot down on his back to keep him pinned to the ground. "No!"

"What's wrong, Trunks? I thought you liked him on his knees."

"Stop it!"

Gohan let out a loud whimper, squeezing his eyes shut. Trunks was saying everything that _he_ was meant to be saying. Why couldn't he speak? Why was his body working against him yet again? He heard Cell become more vocal behind him, it made his skin crawl. Suddenly, the force of his thrusting pushed Gohan forwards, forcing him to finally raise his head slightly to catch himself.

Trunks didn't know whether to look at him or not, but his eyes locked with Gohan's unexpectedly. He saw his lover's pained, frightened expression. He was mere inches away from him and he couldn't do anything about it - his heart broke. Gohan's eyes widened as if they were begging him for help, then they squeezed shut again, his face scrunched up and he gritted his teeth as he was slammed into harder and faster until Cell finally climaxed inside him. Gohan felt a familiar hot substance fill him up, burning his already torn up insides.

Cell pulled out of him, panting and feeling dazed. Gohan winced at the sensation, yelping again when he was finally freed of Cell's invasion. He could feel that same hot liquid seep out of him as the android left his body, making him feel more humiliated than ever. He spoke too soon when he saw Bulma that morning - the need to hurt himself had returned tenfold. He wanted to die at that moment.

"I thought you were _never_ going to finish," groaned Frieza, noticing that Trunks had stopped struggling under his foot.

"Just because you always rush things doesn't mean that I have to," panted Cell. "Why are you asking? Are you wanting to take over after all that waiting?"

"Please... I don't want your fucking leftovers. I'm over it," said Frieza, making Gohan feel a tiny bit relieved that he wasn't going to be shared. But it didn't make him feel any better that he'd just been raped - again.

"Maybe you should find something else to do with your friend, there," remarked Cell, pointing at Trunks. "Because I'm not done yet."

"Fine... " Frieza took his foot off Trunks and sat beside him, pulling his shirt up to reveal his back. "Well, those cuts have healed nicely from the last time I saw you, Trunks," he said, also looking at the state of the initial stab wound. It was still bleeding. His skin was also noticeably clammy, signalling that he was already losing too much blood. "Are you ready to add more scars to your collection?"

Trunks didn't care what happened to him anymore, he just wanted Gohan to move, to escape. He didn't want to watch this any longer. He managed to keep a scream that would have been down to a pain filled growl as he felt a blinding pain on his upper back. Gohan finally moved when he saw Frieza start to burn Trunks with one of his energy beams.

"What's wrong, Gohan?" sneered Cell. The android yanked him back by his arm, pulling him up and making him lean upright against the control panel; he winced again we he was made to sit down. "You usually have quite a lot to say."

Gohan remained silent, shaking with fear and shock. Cell laughed quietly to himself as he advanced again, making Gohan try and meld himself into the wall to get away. Cell kissed him on cheek gently to mock him. Gohan turned his head away, accidentally locking eyes with Trunks again, and his eyes refused to move away when the android licked and bit at his neck, his hands roaming his body forcefully. He finally broke his silence when Cell's cold hand slid into his already loosened pants.

"No!" he sobbed, finally letting his true feelings be known. But it only made Cell more determined to push him further. Gohan's own hand shot down his body, trying to remove Cell's from him, but it was no use. Gohan finally managed to at least avoid Trunks' gaze when he closed his eyes again to pretend it wasn't happening. _Please don't look at me!_ He accidentally let a single tear loose from one of his eyes.

His body froze against the wall as Cell's hand worked on him quickly, making him hard; his body was working against him again. He didn't want to enjoy this, he didn't want to give any of them the impression that he wanted any of it. The drugs only heightened his physical senses, the warm waves washing over him were drowning out Trunks' pain filled cries. He let out a moan unintentionally, and a reluctant one at that.

Gohan had nowhere to hide and no way of stopping it. He didn't want them seeing his expression when it happened. As soon as he felt that familiar tugging sensation in his groin, he threw his hands over his own face, hiding it away and muffling any sounds that may have escaped. Nobody heard anything from him, but knew exactly what was happening when his body shuddered and jerked oddly for a few seconds as his orgasm hit him.

"You're still incredibly easy," said Cell, pulling his hand out of Gohan's pants. Gohan slumped down the wall a little, finally removing his hands from his face; his breathing was ragged and labored from what just happened.

"Gohan's clearly having a better time than you are right now," laughed Frieza, burning him again. Trunks' cries were getting weaker as the minutes ticked by slowly. He was getting weaker. Trunks couldn't bare to watch anymore; Gohan hung his head shamefully in a way that made Trunks want to yell at him that it wasn't his fault.

"He loves it," said Cell wickedly, turning Gohan's head to face him. "Don't you?"

Gohan felt his anger suddenly explode inside him - he hatefully spat in Cell's face. Usually, he would have expected an onslaught of kicks and punches after that, but Cell simply laughed, wiping his face.

"Still got some fight in you," he chuckled. "Let's fix that, shall we?"

Cell stood up, unsheathing himself again and grabbing the back of Gohan's head. He yanked on Gohan's hair to get him to sit on his knees in front of him before forcing his length into Gohan's mouth.

It was then that Trunks finally shut his eyes.

Gohan breathed through his nose and curled his toes back and forth in his shoes to stop himself from gagging. But Cell was beginning to choke him, not holding back as he carelessly moved Gohan's head around by his hair to suit his liking. After the longest few minutes of his entire life, Cell finally pulled the suffocated saiyan off him.

Gohan coughed violently, gasping for air after he was released. He felt sick. Cell hit him across the face again, but not hard enough to make him fall. Frieza had since stopped his assault on Trunks, who was barely aware of anything anymore.

"I think Trunks has learned his lesson for now. It doesn't mean that this is over though, not by a long shot," he said as he stood. "Don't be too long." Frieza left the three of them alone in the gravity chamber. Cell smirked evilly to himself as he looked down at Gohan, who helplessly stared anywhere else but back at him.

"Alone at last," he said menacingly, punching him so hard in the face that it spun him around and knocked him to the ground. As he raised his head, the pounding sensation from his face swelling from the punches he'd received dulled when he caught sight of Trunks' pale, beaten face.

"Trunks?" It was the first thing he'd said by choice since the assault began; Trunks was covered in cuts, bruises and burns. He was even paler than Gohan was, dipping in and out of consciousness - he was fading fast. "Wake up! Hold on, please!" Trunks managed to look at him, his hand moving every so slowly to reach out to him - but Gohan was suddenly pushed on top of him, causing him to let out a painful groan.

Gohan was about to apologise when Cell dragged him away again, flipping him onto his back at an angle where Trunks would be able to see everything.

"Now Trunks, let me show you how to treat him properly."

Although Trunks didn't have the strength to show it in his face, his eyes said it all. It was destroying him. Gohan being raped right in front of him and all he could do was watch. Gohan attempted in vain to shove him off this time, using his hands to push against Cell's chest and shoulders to try and get away from under him, but the android was inside him again, punishing him for everything.

This boy had defeated and humiliated him in battle, killed him, left him for someone else after promising not to, and above all else, gave him a child he didn't want and then forced him love her. To Cell, this was unforgivable. And despite spending the last year slowly exacting his revenge on him, this proved to be the ultimate retribution; dragging him all the way back down after he'd fought so hard for so long to repair himself and become a better person. Cell felt the most powerful that he'd ever been right now...

Cell laughed evilly and moaned as Gohan cried out, relentlessly carrying on until his aggressive movements caused Gohan to move further towards Trunks. Gohan felt himself bump into him, but Trunks couldn't move and even if he could, he would have dragged Gohan away from what was happening to him. What else could he do right now? Just be there for him as he went through it? Surely it was just making things worse.

Gohan was openly crying now, feeling Trunks' chin against his forehead. The last thing he wanted was to make Trunks feel even worse than he already did, if it was even possible. He couldn't help the harrowing cries that Cell forced out of him repeatedly. It was safe to say that the whole thing had finally broken him - both of them.

The pain got worse, making his body seize up automatically until the android spilled everything he had to offer into him. Gohan sobbed to himself, shaking uncontrollably with fear and shame. The drugs still coursing through his system were starting to wear off. The felt so violated and ashamed that the first thing on his mind was an overwhelming desire to kill himself to make it all stop.

Cell then showed his first and only sign of mercy - he reached over to the half-full syringe that Frieza dropped on the floor earlier. Taking Gohan's arm, he administered the rest of the antranide, which was a much higher dose than last time. Gohan was soon feeling the affects, feeling so high that his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out. He decided not to give any to Trunks, wanting him to remember it all, Cell relished the thought of him seeing what just happened for the rest of his life.

"Let's hope someone finds you soon," said Cell calmly to Trunks, stroking Gohan's tear stained face delicately. There was no reaction at all from either of them. "Because Gohan's not going to be waking up anytime soon."

Trunks' vision was blurring, but he wasn't sure whether it was his injuries or that his eyes were merely filling up with tears. As Cell left the room triumphantly, he began to wonder what time it was; the other fighters were meant to be coming in here at 1pm. He hoped that it was going to be soon since none of them could send out any warning signs to anybody.

Then he panicked, wondering how on earth Gohan was going to get through this one. He wondered if he was ever going to be able to look at Gohan again without seeing what just happened. But at this rate, they weren't going to get the chance to find out. Trunks could feel himself slipping as his eyes fell shut. He was so cold...

He was dying.

 **Yeah... that was pretty damn brutal. Will they be found in time?**


	30. The Brink of Death

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 30: THE BRINK OF DEATH**

"Aren't we running a little early?" asked Krillin.

"You'd think so... but I have a plan!" boasted Jeice. "If we're here before Vegeta, then we get to choose the gravity level to start at."

"Aaah... at least this time we can gradually work our way up to Vegeta's impossible expectations!"

Jeice opened the large steel door to the gravity chamber. They were only ten minutes early, but when he walked in he caught sight of Gohan and Trunks lying on the floor. However his first reaction was to look away, he was given the wrong impression.

"Oh come on guys, you could have saved it for the bedroom!" he groaned.

"Jeice... "

Krillin took a closer look, the sound of his voice concerned Jeice, who turned back around; the monks face had completely drained of colour. The gravity chamber was covered with blood, most of it gathered in a puddle underneath Trunks.

"Oh shit... "

Jeice and Krillin ran over to them both. Trunks was lying on his side unconscious, he was so pale that his skin was a ghostly white. Gohan was next to him, his forehead still burrowed against Trunks' chin, though his body went off at another angle. He was lying on his back, his upper arms and face angrily bruised, though not looking nearly as beaten as Trunks did... but his eyes were open.

"Gohan?" Jeice gently attempted to rouse him by shaking him by the shoulders. Krillin went to check if Trunks still had a pulse.

"Trunks is alive. But barely," said Krillin.

"I think Gohan's dead... "

Krillin pretended that he didn't hear that, putting on his game face and standing up.

"I'm going to get help, you stay here and keep trying!"

Jeice was unconvinced by the lifeless look in Gohan's eyes as they stared past him. He wasn't blinking. He went to check Trunks' pulse again, feeling that it was barely there. Both Gohan and Trunks were so still and silent that it was scaring him.

"Where are they?!"

Jeice jumped at Vegeta's voice as he burst into the chamber. Vegeta noticeably froze, darting towards his son.

"He's got a faint pulse," said Jeice blankly. Krillin picked up Trunks' sword, which was on the floor by the entrance, seeing that the entire blade was covered with blood.

"I think he's been stabbed, Vegeta."

"No kidding," he responded irritably. He lifted up Trunks' shirt more than it already was, only to find that his back was dotted with hundreds of tiny burns. He tried as hard as he could not to let it affect him, but he caught sight of the stab wound to the lower right of his back. Vegeta bend over him to check the front as well; there was too much blood on the sword for the wound to stop. "Dammit!"

"What?"

"There's an exit wound."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he was probably stabbed from behind and the sword went all the way through!" shouted Vegeta, saying it all out loud making it hit home even more - Trunks was in serious trouble. As soon as Burter and Recoome came in, Vegeta shouted at them too. "Get Trunks to the medical room right now! And quickly! Or else he's going to die!"

Burter and Recoome didn't question him, heading over and lifting Trunks up between them in a way to stop him from losing anymore blood, wondering if he even had any left. Vegeta kept as level headed as he could, moving onto Gohan, and ignoring that he was kneeling in a pool of his son's blood.

"Gohan's dead, isn't he?" sobbed Jeice, no longer caring that he was falling to pieces in front of Vegeta. Vegeta, on the other hand, went to check Gohan's pulse, unnerved by the way his eyes remained open, staring into nothingness.

"No, he's not dead," confirmed Vegeta, putting his ear to his mouth to hear his breathing; it was there, but it was shallow and slow.

"What the hell happened?!" cried Piccolo. "I've just seen Trunks been taken inside - "

The Namek stopped for a few seconds, seeing Gohan lying still on the floor.

"Gohan... what's wrong with him?" he asked, kneeling down beside Jeice, who had since let the situation get to him. Vegeta was still working, trying to figure out why Gohan was so unresponsive.

"I don't know. He's alive. Just... "

Vegeta decided to look at his eyes for answers, noticing that his pupils were pinpoint - and when he moved his shadow away from his face, the change in light reaching his eyes didn't change them at all.

"Wait a second... " he said, checking Gohan's right arm. There was nothing, so he went to his left. "He's got track marks."

"What?" gasped Jeice, snapping out of his daze. "You mean he's on something?"

"Look," said Vegeta, showing them both the two needle stick marks on Gohan's arm, as well as the darkening veins around them. "If he's got track marks from just two doses then whatever was given to him was lethal. The toxins have damaged the veins."

"Antranide?" suggested Jeice. "I've never heard of it being used like that... but that's my guess. Since Gohan's been on it before."

"We'll have to take that as our best guess since that's all we've got," said Piccolo. "We'd better get him inside."

"Wait!" ordered Vegeta, just as they went to move him. He noticed something that made him feel uneasy - Gohan's pants were crooked. "Fuck... " he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Right, we need to get him inside and give him something to reverse the affects of the drug. And then I believe it would be wise to sedate him for a while before he comes round."

"Why?" asked Jeice, not knowing whether he wanted to hear it or not.

"I... I think he's been raped."

"Oh... for fuck's sake... " Jeice didn't know if he could take anymore. He watched as Vegeta closed Gohan's eyes for him before he and Piccolo lifted him up carefully to take him inside. Gohan didn't look like he was asleep, he looked even deader than he did with his eyes open.

* * *

The news began spreading quickly around the place. Even Nita seemed disturbed by it, inconsolably crying against Chi Chi as if she knew that something horrible had happened. Chi Chi wasn't doing much better, silently sobbing to herself as she tried to calm Nita down at the same time. Although Goten was only six years old, he found himself becoming the strong one out of everyone in the room, with a little help from his best friend, the present Trunks. They managed to sing Haru to sleep, and even tried to calm his mother down, their innocence proving to be the only thing keeping Chi Chi from breaking down completely.

All that they knew was that Trunks and Gohan had been attacked and left for dead, but knowing nothing else as of yet.

Goku charged into the medical area where Trunks and Gohan had been taken, running inside to find them both on beds next to each other, but far enough apart to give a good amount of space for them to work. Stepping out again, he found Krillin waiting nearby.

"Do we know who did this?" asked Goku, having a hunch that Cell was behind it.

"No, they've both been unconscious since before we found them," said Krillin.

"How is Gohan?"

"He was pretty beat up, and drugged apparently. Bulma's trying to find a way to get it out of his system, she doesn't know if it's caused any damage yet."

"And Trunks?"

"Trunks got the brunt of it by the looks of things. He was stabbed with his own sword, he's lost so much blood that they don't think he's going to make it... "

Meanwhile inside the medical room, Bulma got Gohan hooked up on a solution that would hopefully counteract the drug and left that to work as she ran over to her son; Vegeta, Piccolo, and Tien were already with him trying to stop the bleeding. Bulma tried for the next two minutes to get a line into him so that he could be given treatment to help, but he was slipping more and more.

"He needs blood," she said, trying not to panic. "Pumping fluids into him isn't going to help him replace what he's lost."

"Do you even have any blood?! This isn't a proper hospital, there's hardly any equipment," said Tien, pressing down on the wound on his back while Piccolo had the other on his stomach. They kept Trunks on his left to hinder any blood flow to the area since it was simply going to leak out.

"No, but... "

"I can," said Vegeta. "Take some of mine and transfuse it into him."

"Vegeta, how do you even know that it's going to work?! You might not even be the same blood type."

"He is literally on the brink of death, he needs saiyan blood if he's going to pull through! And while that's happening I can transfer some of my energy to him as well."

Just as Bulma was about to agree, a loud, continuous beeping noise erupted from the monitor that Trunks was attached to.

"His heart's stopped beating!" she cried, trying not to panic.

"What?! What do you need us to do?" asked Piccolo.

"Okay, we need to put him on his back," she instructed, prompting the four of them to roll him over carefully. "Tien, keep your hand underneath and keep applying pressure, and do the same with your other hand on this wound here." Tien took over from Piccolo, applying pressure from both sides. "Piccolo, start chest compressions while we sort out the blood. And Vegeta... "

"I'm on it," he said, holding his son's hand. He began transferring some of his energy over as he felt Bulma fidgeting with his other arm. Eventually, she got access to him, hooking him up to an old transfusion machine that she wasn't even sure was functioning right, but what choice did she have? She made sure that Trunks was receiving by swapping the lines around. "Come on, Trunks."

The room was silent for the next ten minutes, the only noise being the sound of the flatline on the monitor and the sound of the bed squeaking as Piccolo kept up the chest compressions.

Suddenly, the monitor reset, the flatline returning to a steady rhythm. Piccolo stopped, feeling his heart beating on it's own again.

"He's alive!"

"Get in there, Trunks!" said Tien, not removing his hands from the wound. Bulma breathed a sigh of relief.

"Stay there for a second while I check on Gohan. Then I'm going to need to fix that wound."

Bulma headed over to him on the bed next to them, just as Goku, Jeice and Krillin walked into the room.

"How are they?" asked Goku. "I felt Trunks' energy... "

"His heart stopped for ten minutes, but we've got it going again. Vegeta's giving him blood and some of his energy to help him heal faster," she said. "I'm just taking a look at Gohan now."

They gathered around his bed, unnerved by his condition. He was still unconscious, no longer still, but shivering and sweating as his body became hooked on the antranide again since he was given such a massive amount. Bulma felt around his bruised face for any broken bones.

"Nothing broken here," she said, relieved since Trunks' eye socket had been fractured during the attack, the deep cut on his lip was likely to scar, along with the burns on his back. Apart from the drugs, she'd have thought that Gohan got lucky, but she was about to be proven wrong. The bruises on his upper arms weren't reassuring.

"What's that?" asked Goku.

"What?"

"He's bleeding."

"Where?"

Bulma went around to the other side of the bed to where Goku was pointing, Krillin also joining them. Jeice simply sat there with his head in his hands, not really taking any of it in.

Gohan _was_ bleeding. The white sheets under him were slowly turning red underneath him, a tiny bit of it poking out to the side.

"Can you help me roll him onto his side, he might have been stabbed too," she said. Goku and Krillin helped turn Gohan over, leaving Bulma horrified when she realised where it was coming from. "Okay, put him back."

"What is it?" asked Goku.

"I think he was... " Bulma couldn't bring herself to say it, feeling sick at the sight of how much it had caused Gohan to bleed.

"Gohan was raped," said Vegeta from Trunks' side.

"Raped?!" Goku fell backwards slightly, Krillin easing him onto the next bed along from them to sit down.

"Man... and I thought this couldn't get any worse," mumbled Krillin.

"What are we supposed to do to help him?" asked Tien. Just as he said it, they heard whimpering coming from Gohan, who was now tossing and turning his head, clenching his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Sedate him," said Vegeta. "Let's get Trunks out of the woods first and deal with it later. My energy alone won't be enough to stop him from dying. This wound needs attention now."

"Okay," answered Bulma, giving Gohan something to take the edge off, sending him back into a deep sleep so that she could work on saving Trunks.

* * *

The lamp light blinded him as he came round, and Gohan had the worst hangover imaginable.

"Gohan?"

He could just about make out the shape of his father's hair... but then he remembered. His breathing became erratic, his eyes darted around the room as he searched for his attackers. It felt like he was still in the gravity chamber.

"Gohan, it's okay! You're safe! Nobody's going to hurt you!"

Goku held his hand rather than his shoulders, playing it safe. Gohan stopped frantically gasping for air when he realised where he was; he was in Chi Chi and Goku's bedroom, alone with his father. He looked down himself, noticing that he had his nightwear on, a pair of loose pants and a black tank top. His head hurt, and so did his face.

"Nita... " he uttered groggily, she was always his first thought whenever he woke up.

"She's fine and she's safe. She's with your mother."

"Where's Trunks?" he asked, remembering that the last time he saw him, he was bleeding to death.

"Trunks is okay," said Goku. "He's still in a pretty bad way, but he's making good progress."

"Where is he?"

"He's in the medical room - "

"I have to see him - ow!"

The memories of his assault came back as he tried to sit up, inhaling sharply and freezing in a half upright position.

"You're no fit state to be going anywhere. And Trunks isn't even awake yet."

"How long was I out?" asked Gohan, feeling odd as it was dark outside.

"Three days," said Goku. "We had to make sure the drugs were completely out of your system."

"Drugs... oh no... " Gohan began welling up, panic rose in his chest as he began to feel unsafe, like the attack was still happening. He saw a white, veined face and crimson eyes staring madly at him; he felt Cell forcing himself into his mouth and something poking at the back of his throat. "I think I'm going to be sick... "

Goku managed to grab an empty bowl that was nearby him, Bulma warning that this might happen. He rubbed Gohan's back soothingly as he violently vomited and retched into the bowl for the next few seconds, nothing really coming up as he hadn't eaten in days. Once he stopped, he lay back again, curling up on his side.

"Gohan... " he said sympathetically, going to stroke his hair out of his eyes, which were wide open and filled with nothing but terror as flashbacks haunted every corner of him. Goku was a little shocked when Gohan flinched at his touch.

"Don't touch me!" he shouted, his voice cracking. His arm flew out, knocking his father's hand away from him. As he realised what he'd just done, he became apologetic, curling up again. "I'm sorry... just, don't touch me... please." Gohan burst into tears as he finished his sentence.

* * *

"Urgh... "

Vegeta snapped out of his trance, sat on a rather uncomfortable chair next to Trunks' bed in the medical room. He hadn't moved from there since he was brought in three days ago, much to everybody's surprise.

"Trunks?"

"Ow... " he drawled painfully as everything caught up with him. Everything hurt. He opened his eyes slowly, not really taking anything in.

"Can you hear me?"

"Is he waking up?" asked Bulma as she walked in with Krillin and Jeice. "Trunks?"

"Where am I?" he said, slowly moving his head to look at them. He was propped up in bed, still hooked up to various machines.

"You're in the medical room," said Vegeta.

"What year is it?" she asked.

"Age 791... " he grunted. Bulma was confused for a second until she realised that wasn't the best question to ask a time traveler.

"Sorry that was a stupid question," she laughed weakly. "It's Age 773, do you remember?"

"Yeah, sorry," said Trunks as he became more lucid. "Age 791 is the year I'm _supposed_ to be in."

"The fact that you're awake right now is nothing short of a fucking miracle, dude," said Jeice.

"Why? Was is that bad?"

"Your heart stopped for ten minutes," said Krillin.

"Really?!"

"Yeah, if it wasn't for Vegeta giving you his energy and six pints of blood, then you wouldn't be here anymore," said Bulma.

"Thank you," said Trunks to his father. "You gave me all that blood? So you're not a robot like I thought you were," he joked, wincing between his words.

"Hmph, don't tell anybody," said Vegeta, humoring his son. It took Trunks a few more seconds to remember how he got there, his eyes widening.

"Where's Gohan?!" he asked frantically. "Is he okay - argh!" An unbearable pain shot through Trunks' abdomen where his wound was still healing when he tried to fling himself out of bed. "Is he alive?"

"Yes, he's fine. Goku's with him, he's resting," said Bulma softly, making Trunks calm down a little. "What happened, Trunks?"

"It was Cell and Frieza," he answered.

"Both of them?!" exclaimed Vegeta. Trunks nodded his head slowly.

"They've joined up. They're both using reality's energy... "

"So now not only are we dealing with Frieza and his army, but Cell too... "

"We are so dead... " said Krillin.

"Gohan... I need to see him," said Trunks, becoming more worked up again.

"He's needs time to heal Trunks, and so do you!" said Bulma.

"Trunks... we think he was raped," said Jeice as gently as he could. The look on Trunks' face wasn't reassuring at all.

"I know... " he choked as the memories came flooding back. "They made me watch."

"They what?!" yelled Vegeta.

"Oh, Trunks," said Bulma, reaching out to touch his arm in a comforting manner.

"He was right in front of me and I couldn't do _anything_ ," continued Trunks. Krillin and Jeice left them alone as Trunks began letting those tears loose that he'd somehow managed to keep hold of all the way through their ordeal.

"They didn't do anything like that to you, did they?"

"Bulma!" scolded Vegeta.

"I'm sorry, I just need to know - "

"No," said Trunks. "Frieza stabbed me from behind as soon as they appeared so I was out for the count from the start. They drugged Gohan while I was down. Then Frieza beat me then pinned me to the floor and made me look at Gohan while Cell was... I can't get it out my head... I keep seeing that look in his eyes and hearing him screaming."

"I promise you, Trunks, Gohan is safe. Right now, you need to focus on getting better. You know that you can't help him while you're like this," said Bulma. "Now get some rest."

Trunks knew that she was crying, Bulma just didn't want him to see it. Vegeta adjusted himself on that same metal chair which was beginning to knacker his back and got hold of Trunks' left hand with his own.

"What are you doing?"

"Giving you some more of my energy. It'll help you heal faster," answered Vegeta.

"But you can't give me anymore, you won't have any left to train with - "

"This isn't up for debate, so shut up and use this energy wisely."

Trunks did as he was told, the pair of them sitting in silence for the rest of the night.

* * *

Gohan woke up after a restless night, Goku not moving from his side apart from once when he had to go to the bathroom. For the first time since the attack, Gohan tried to stand up, feeling weird when he did.

He didn't want Goku knowing... but he was still sore. He found it embarrassing, but managed to breathe slowly enough to stop the memories from hitting him again.

"Are you okay?" asked Goku, noticing his discomfort.

"Yeah, just give me a minute."

Goku handed him some clean clothes; a grey long-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans. He kept his back turned as he changed, Gohan hinting that he needed privacy. Just as he was finished, there was a knock on the door.

"Morning," said Chi Chi, putting on a brave face as she brought Nita in with her. She'd only seen Gohan once since she found out what really happened. Since then she threw herself into taking care of the children. "How are you feeling?" she asked, before realising that it wasn't the best thought out question to ask.

"I'll be okay," said Gohan numbly with a weak smile, though he said it as if he didn't really believe that he would, which his parents noticed.

"Look who's come to see you," she cooed, turning around so that Nita could see Gohan, her huge eyes lighting up at the sight of him.

Gohan spent the past few hours asking after her, wondering if she was okay and missing her like crazy, but as soon as he laid eyes on her after all this time... all he could see was Cell.

His parents noticed the terror beginning to appear in his face as he stared at her wide-eyed as if he was afraid of her; she was looking more and more like Cell everyday.

"Gohan, it's only Nita - "

"I can't... I can't do this!" he cried, running out of the room and down the hall as fast as he could.

Cell had destroyed everything. Now he couldn't even look at his own daughter without being reminded of what happened.

* * *

He didn't stop running for at least an hour, finally stopping when he reached the outskirts of town, panting and sweating. It was still dark outside, the streets were still more or less deserted after the events of the past year.

Gohan actually felt a little better after running for so long, feeling like he got rid of some of his anger. After catching his breath for a few minutes, he soon realised that he had nowhere else to go but back to Capsule Corp., and so he turned around and started to head back, this time walking but at a quick enough pace for him to not be able to think.

Once he did get back, he had no idea how long he'd been away. Gohan didn't even think that people would be worried about him, but he didn't have the energy to care. Managing to avoid everybody, he walked straight towards the medical room. Taking a breath before he walked in, he saw Trunks on a bed at the far end of the room.

Gohan's heart sank when he got closer; he looked terrible. Trunks had a hospital gown on since his clothes had been cut off, his eye was swollen and he had a deep cut on his bottom lip which was being held together with stitches, along with other smaller bruises. He also had a nasal breathing tube attached to him. What disturbed him most was that he wasn't moving.

He pulled up the plastic chair to the bed and sat down, taking Trunks' hand in his own. He leaned down to kiss it, carefully avoiding the cannula sticking out of it; he hated seeing wires and tubes around him, wanting him to wake up and complain about how he hated mornings like he always did. He placed his elbow on the edge of the bed, supporting his head as he sat there in silence holding Trunks' hand.

"Gohan, there you are!"

Gohan snapped out of his daze to Bulma walking into the room.

"Your father's out looking for you, where have you been?" she asked softly.

"I just needed some space," said Gohan. "What time is it?"

"Um... 12.45am," she answered, checking her watch. Gohan briefly acknowledged her before his eyes drifted back to Trunks' swollen face.

"It looks worse than it is, I promise. He woke up earlier, but I've given him something to help him rest."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"He's going to be fine. We... actually lost him for a few minutes, but we got him back. He's stubborn just like his father," she said, sitting down next to him. "Vegeta actually just left. He's been giving Trunks a lot of healing energy for the past three days. He's gone to get some sleep."

Gohan sat himself up immediately, taking Trunks' hand properly.

"Gohan, you don't have to - "

"I want to, I don't have much left to give but... "

"You should save your energy for yourself, Gohan. You've not completely recovered yet."

"Please. I need to do _something_."

Gohan handed his energy over regardless, or what little he could offer anyway. He sat there for the next ten minutes until he was too tired to give anymore.

"How are you feeling?" asked Bulma, despite knowing the answer.

"Like I went out last night and got really, really drunk," he joked weakly.

"You'll feel better in the morning. There were a lot of drugs in your system."

"Not enough... I still felt everything," said Gohan, not even meaning to blurt that out; he looked at Bulma to see that she was giving him a sympathetic look. "Sorry... "

"It's okay to talk about it."

"Does everyone know? About... what happened to me?" he asked. He couldn't even say it.

"Yes, it was pretty obvious when we found you. You were... there was a lot of blood. You'll heal up soon."

"I know," said Gohan tearfully. "That wasn't the first time he's done that to me..."

"I had a feeling, if I'm honest," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. This time, Gohan didn't flinch at being touched, oddly feeling very comfortable around her.

"When will he wake up?" he asked, looking at Trunks again.

"Tomorrow morning. Hopefully he'll have healed enough to try and stand up. Usually with those kind of injuries, he'd be laid up for weeks. But thanks to saiyan genetics and you and Vegeta helping him heal, he should be back on his feet in no time."

"Nita... I can't believe I just... "

"What?"

"Before I ran off. I took one look at her and just bolted," said Gohan regretfully. "She just... she looks so much like him."

"Nita's just a baby, Gohan. If you're letting him make you fear your own child then you're letting him win."

"Thanks, Bulma," he said after a short pause. He stood up and gave Trunks a gentle kiss on the forehead before heading back to his parent's room as fast as he could.

"Gohan, there you are! Your father's still looking for you - "

Gohan ignored his mother and went straight to the crib, where Nita was still wide awake, wriggling around on her back. Not even caring to wonder why she was still awake at this hour, he picked her up, holding her tight to his chest.

"I'm sorry... " he sobbed. "It's not your fault. I'm so sorry... "

Nita made some of her usual gurgling noises as Gohan cradled her, completely oblivious to everything that was going on; Gohan swore never to let Cell take her away from him again.

 **Rapid updates! I'm on a roll...**


	31. Dirty Whispering

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 31: DIRTY WHISPERING**

"Why isn't he awake yet?" said Vegeta. "It's been five days since it happened and he's only woken once!"

"Patience was never your strong point was it?!" yelled Bulma. "Just give him time, he's still recuperating. Or have you forgotten that he practically died for ten minutes?"

Trunks was aware of his surroundings, he was pretending to be out cold so that he didn't have to get involved in his parents' latest row. He was literally just napping at this point, feeling a lot better than he did the first time he came round. His body didn't hurt anymore and neither did any of his wounds. As soon as Bulma stormed out of the medical room, he decided to finally open his eyes.

"Trunks?"

"Hey," he said, pushing himself up a little so that he was no longer slumped down as much.

"Your energy seems much more stable than before. Better, even. But that's what near death experiences do to saiyans. You could prove to be a real asset in the upcoming battle, you know?"

"I feel fine, thanks for asking!" said Trunks sarcastically.

"Hmph, you've inherited your mother's sharp tongue, I see."

"How long has it been since... " Trunks kept up his pretense, knowing full well how long he'd been in bed.

"Five days now. Glad to see that my energy has been put to good use in your healing."

"Where's Gohan?" asked Trunks.

"What am I? His keeper?," shrugged Vegeta.

"Is he okay?"

"From what I've seen, he's just getting on with it. Whether he's okay or not, I don't know."

"I need to see him."

"I wouldn't yet, if I were you - "

"Where is he?!"

Vegeta sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to be listened to. He knew what was coming next as soon as they were together again. Trunks wasn't dealing with the situation well, he wasn't usually as bad tempered and snappy as he was right now. Bulma then came into the room, prompting Vegeta to stand up.

"Okay, you think you'll be able to walk to the other end of the room for me, Trunks?" she asked firmly. Trunks nodded, pushing himself up slowly and swinging his legs over to stand. "If you do this, then I'll let you out of here."

"Good... I miss my own bed."

"Can you do it by yourself?"

"Yeah, I think s - "

Trunks stumbled forwards, Bulma and Vegeta managed to catch him. This was the first time he'd stood up since the attack; in his own head he thought this would be a piece of cake, a relief even, but it was the complete opposite. His body felt stiff, as if it had been tied in a knot for days on end. His balance was so off that it irritated him.

"Take it slow."

"I'm fine!" he snapped. Bulma was taken aback by his impatience, but knew that it was more to do with the lack of movement and the need for a decent night's sleep that hadn't been induced by painkillers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you... "

"It's okay, I know it's frustrating. But you're doing well."

"Let him do it by himself, Bulma," said Vegeta, pushing Trunks as best he could and also stopping Bulma from fussing over him.

* * *

Gohan was indeed just getting on with things as best he could. He literally hadn't stopped doing things these past few days, tending to Nita's every need and never leaving her side. He still felt horrible about abandoning her for a whole night, not being able to look at her without seeing Cell on top him again. But once he got himself together once more, he reasoned that she was just an innocent little baby, and his baby at that. None of this was her fault.

After giving her a long bath and entertaining her with little splashes and various toys, he wrapped her up in a large, fluffy white towel and brought her back in to his and Trunks' bedroom, where her new crib was proving to be a good place for her to sleep. She loved it in there, being able to roll over and watch the old mobile that was hoisted above it, admiring all the colours coming from it.

The room was immaculately clean. A far cry to how it usually was, filled with clutter and clothes strewn across the place; time always got away from them and they never bothered to clean up in between training and looking after Nita. Gohan must have been functioning on about a combined six hours of sleep since he woke up after the attack, not sleeping well due to flashbacks and nightmares.

Instead, he found himself completely reorganizing the whole bedroom, sorting Trunks' clothes out, washing them and putting them away, then doing the same with his and Nita's, heading out into the city with Jeice to get some more baby supplies from the still abandoned department stores. She went up a size in diapers, now at three months old. He kept hold of some of the first things she wore and put the rest into storage, getting her more clothes that she could grown into, also taking the time to cut tail holes in them; Nita now had everything sorted out to last her another three months.

Gohan got some of her new clothes out of the dresser, along with a diaper, then sat down on the freshly washed bed covers and began to dress her as soon as she was dry. She beamed back up at him, squirming around so much that Gohan had trouble putting her shirt on. It only made him giggle back at her, it was as if she was purposely messing him around. When she was ready, he scooped her up into his arms, cooing at her and kissing her little face when he heard a quiet knock at the door.

"Come in," he said, trying not to show any frustration in his voice. More than anything right now, he wanted to be left alone.

"Wow, this place is spotless!" exclaimed Bulma as she looked around. Gohan was actually relieved that it wasn't his mother; as much as Chi Chi had tried with him, she just didn't know how to handle the situation or make it all go away - this wasn't a scuffed elbow and a bandage and he wasn't four years old anymore. "How are you doing? Is it wise for you to be alone at a time like this?"

"I just want to deal with it in my own way," answered Gohan truthfully. "I promise I won't do anything stupid." Bulma seemed reassured by that; since Gohan's personalities had merged again, he was less unhinged and a lot more sure of himself. Though it didn't stop them all worrying about him, he was quieter than usual.

"I wanted to let you know that Trunks is awake," said Bulma, noticing the shift in Gohan's demeanor, there seemed to be something finally filling up the hole in his chest that he'd become aware of lately. "He's walking around, and he should be able to sleep in here tonight if that's okay?"

"Yeah, of course it is." Gohan took Bulma's hand, still holding Nita with the other. "Thanks for everything... "

"Do you want to go and see him?"

Gohan nodded enthusiastically as he stood up, keeping Nita close to his chest as he followed Bulma out of the bedroom and down the endless hallways of Capsule Corp. until they finally got to the medical room. But something was wrong.

He expected to feel happy, even excited at the prospect of speaking to Trunks again, since he hadn't since it all happened... but he felt his stomach twist up into knots, like he was dreading the idea. Bulma opened the door to let him in, not giving Gohan time to process what he may have been feeling.

Gohan walked into the room slowly to see Trunks sat up on the bed, his legs crossed and his attention occupied by one of his engineering textbooks. He still had a reddish bruise under his left eye and the cut on his lip from where Cell kicked him in the face. He looked a lot better than he did when Gohan saw him just after the attack, more like his old self again.

"Trunks?" It was barely a whisper, but Trunks lifted his head to see Gohan stood next to him with Nita. The next thing they knew, the three of them were huddled together in an embrace. "I missed you so much," he sighed, breathing him in and letting his lungs fill up with his scent. "Are you okay?"

"I love you," said Trunks, pulling his head back to kiss him gently before turning to Nita, who was smiling up at him and grabbing onto the silky strands of his hair. "Hey, you!" Trunks kissed her on the top of her head, earning an approving gurgling noise. "Are you okay?"

"Hey, I asked first," laughed Gohan nervously, not really wanting to be the one to answer that first. After keeping himself together and acting as strong as possible to stop everyone else from worrying about him, he finally felt his defenses crumble in the presence of the only person he could ever break down in front of. He wanted to scream and cry out all of his anger and fear, but waited for Trunks to answer.

"Not really," he admitted downheartedly.

"Me neither."

Gohan sat on the bed with him, placing Nita on his lap and supporting her with one of his arms. All they longed to do for the past five days was speak to each other again... but they were silent. Neither of them knew what to say as the atmosphere became tense.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop him... " said Trunks. Gohan avoided eye contact with him altogether, playing with Nita's fingers to keep himself distracted from the lump hanging in his throat.

"Don't be sorry," he said. "You were dying. I should have been the one saving you."

Gohan felt Trunks' fingers appear on the side of his face, caressing his cheek before leaving him again. Trunks suddenly buried his head in his hands, not that Gohan noticed. He was just seconds away from letting himself finally let everything out until he heard something that stopped him; Trunks broke down.

"Trunks, it's okay!" he said in a comforting voice, pulling his head into his shoulder.

Gohan let Trunks cry on him while he stroked his hair and encouraged him to let everything out. Gohan built his defensive walls back up again; he had to be the strong one this time. He had to take care of Trunks. While what happened to Gohan was terrible, he felt like he was dealing with it in his own way by keeping busy. Trunks needed him - nobody should have to be tortured like he had been that morning, physically beaten and burned, his life hanging by a thread as he watched his mate being raped in front of him. Trunks was broken, and Gohan took it upon himself to fix him at that moment, the same way Trunks had put him back together in the past.

* * *

\- Six days later -

Everything more or less returned to normal, Trunks and Gohan had returned to their training once the gravity chamber had been cleared of any evidence of what had happened just eleven days ago. Recoome, Burter and Guldo personally volunteered to clean it, earning their keep and feeling that they were the only ones capable of doing it without is phasing them too much.

Gohan continued his promise to stay strong for those around him, Nita was perfectly content, settled into a nice routine. Trunks also seemed to be picking himself up again, determined to get stronger; his recent brush with death had greatly increased his power significantly. Yet something was off - they always seemed to make sure that they were never alone together. And when they were, the hardly spoke to each other.

Neither of them attempted to vocalize the tense atmosphere between them both. They held each other at night at first, but they soon began facing away from one another when they slept... _if_ they slept at all. Despite his own trauma, Trunks was rather worried that Gohan hadn't mentioned the rape he'd endured at all, but he didn't want to be the one to bring it up either, finding it too painful to talk about. One day, Gohan decided to attempt to break the tension.

That evening after dinner, Gohan went onto the balcony, where Trunks was sitting on the floor against the wall watching the sunset. Gohan sat down next to him, slipping his hand into Trunks'; the void between them both suddenly began to disappear a little.

"I don't like this... us not talking," said Gohan carefully, jumping straight in. Trunks squeezed his hand in response.

"Me neither. But everything just feels... "

"Like the world's stopped turning?"

"Yeah," sighed Trunks. They finally looked at each other properly, the air began to clear a little as they enveloped themselves in their own little bubble. "We're going to be okay, aren't we?"

"I hope so," reassured Gohan. He let his head fall to rest on Trunks' shoulder. "I can't see the rest of my life without you there. The thought of you not being there scares me."

Trunks tilted his head to rest on Gohan's in return, holding his hand tight and never wanting to let him go. They were brought out of their own little world when Jeice and Krillin walked outside, followed by the rest of the Ginyus.

"Cooler's found where that power source is," revealed Krillin.

"Really?!" exclaimed Trunks.

"Just in time... " said Gohan. Though the prospect of confronting Cell and Frieza again was daunting to them both.

"We're heading out in three days," said Krillin. "It's located in Hell somewhere... figures."

"Why three days? Why don't we just deal with it now?" asked Trunks.

"Urghh... something about attacking the source at it's most vulnerable or some bollocks. Cooler doesn't half bang on," groaned Jeice.

"So what do you guys want to do for the next three days? Waiting around is just going to drag this out for even longer," sighed Guldo.

"I've no idea," said Jeice. "What do you two want to do?"

"Get wasted," joked Gohan, feeling like he needed a goddamn drink after everything that had happened.

"That's actually not a bad idea... " agreed Recoome. They could all see that the mutant was dusting off this brain gears as they began turning. "Let's get drunk!"

"Seriously?! At a time like this?!" drawled Guldo.

"It's the perfect time!" yelled Jeice, his eyes widening with excitement. "Who's to say that we aren't going to die in three days? Let's drink our own body weight for one night before the big day!"

"Then we have two days left to get rid of the worst hangover ever... " added Burter.

"Yeah! So who's in?" asked Recoome. Guldo, Burter and Jeice were immediately on it.

"Oh fine," laughed Krillin. "I'll see if anyone else wants to get in on this."

"Trunks, you in too?"

"Yeah, why not," he shrugged, smiling at Gohan.

"My mom has Nita tonight so I'm good to go too."

* * *

Without letting Chi Chi know of course, Gohan managed to at least tell Goku that he was 'having one drink' with everyone, despite his age; but everyone already knew that Gohan had quite a few bad habits in the past. They occupied the living room. Yamcha, Tien, and even Master Roshi and Oolong had joined them for one last night of recklessness, the others deciding that it wasn't their scene. Vegeta was still locked in the gravity chamber, not that anyone was surprised at that.

It was 1am, they'd all been drinking for a few hours now, growing louder and more rowdy. Jeice and Krillin noticed a significant change in the way Trunks and Gohan were acting around each other; they were joking and laughing, playfully pushing each other like they usually would. The only thing that was worrying was that it took them about eight or nine beers each for them to act normal around each other.

"Oh! This one!" shouted Burter. He and Yamcha were digging through the music, finally finding something to his taste. Putting it inside the player, rock music began blaring out of it, but not loud enough to cause any disturbance outside the room. The Ginyus began cheering, Burter dragging a reluctant Yamcha into the center of the room to start dancing. Tien, Master Roshi and Oolong were laughing so hard at it that they began to cry. Krillin called their bluff and began dancing around himself.

"Come on... "

"Aw, what? Noo... " groaned Gohan as Trunks held his hand out to him.

"I promise I won't drop you," he said, giving him an encouraging wink.

"Since when do you dance anyway?"

"Get your ass up here... " laughed Trunks.

Gohan rolled his eyes with a smile and put his drink down, letting Trunks pull him onto his feet and accidentally right into him. Their coordination wasn't on point at the moment. Krillin laughed at they joined them. Gohan and Trunks were engaging in a dance that mostly consisted of swaying and stumbling around.

Gohan got hold of his other hand so that he had both, they were no longer unsteady, focusing on each other and continuously erupting in unrelenting giggling. As they carried on, everything else fell away, and they forgot that anyone else was in the room; it was a feeling that they'd both terribly missed.

Gohan pulled Trunks towards him until their bodies bumped into one another and he was met with bright blue eyes that made his heart begin to flutter with excitement. He pushed him away again, repeating the process over and over until it had been established as an awkwardly placed dance routine, as the music played and the Ginyus began some sort of dance off.

After a few minutes, Trunks suddenly pulled Gohan towards him with another giggle. Gohan landed at a much closer proximity than they had been doing originally, their noses touching. Instead of letting himself be pushed back, Gohan followed his alcohol-fueled instincts, stealing a quick, shy kiss from him. Trunks let go of his hands, sliding his arms around his waist as he responded with a deeper kiss. Gohan's hand found itself on Trunks' face.

With only Jeice and Krillin in the room knowing that they were actually a couple, everyone else watched in surprise as they finally noticed what was going on. Gohan pulled back, finally feeling the eyes staring at him. He looked at them all, then laughed, bashfully hiding Trunks' shoulder - that was the first time they'd kissed publicly.

"I fucking love you guys," cooed Jeice. Everyone looked away again, not wanting to ruin the moment they were having.

They all found it cute, but as the night continued, Gohan and Trunks began acting less 'cute' and romantic, not that anyone noticed since they were all wasted. Lingering stares across the room prompted a drunken sexual frustration in them both. When nobody was looking, Gohan would often bite his own lip and give him a dirty smile, even play with him by using his tail whenever he walked past him in an attempt to silently drive Trunks crazy.

At about 3am, Trunks sat down next to Gohan on the sofa while the others played some sort of drinking game. Master Roshi had fallen asleep on the other sofa and Tien had given into his lack of partying experience and turned in for the night.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" asked Trunks in a low voice so nobody could hear. They were both grinning excitedly. Gohan leaned in against his ear.

"Because I want to fuck you," he whispered almost innocently, making Trunks' heart begin beating faster. He started nibbling on his ear gently.

"Yeah?"

"It's getting late... maybe we should... uh... " Gohan felt his words trail off as he felt himself getting hotter.

"Yeah... "

They left the room as quickly as they could before anyone could notice they were gone. They stumbled back into their room after trying to find it, creeping around as quietly as they could and giggling incessantly as they did it.

"Ooh... this is why I don't drink," said Trunks between laughs, catching himself on the dresser before he toppled over onto the floor.

"You're a great drunk... " giggled Gohan as he closed the door. Trunks had trouble standing by himself, propping himself up by the dresser by leaning on it.

"You're more drunk than I am... "

"So call the police," he said mischievously.

"I'm telling your mom," said Trunks.

"Oh... that's just a low blow," teased Gohan. He approached him, catching him by his arm as he stumbled again. They both laughed at each other for no other reason than that their systems were full of mixed alcohol. Gohan ended up pushing Trunks against the dresser properly to help him stand.

"You're such a good wife," said Trunks, deliberately provoking him.

"You're the wife," he answered with just as much playfulness. "With your girly hair."

"It's not girly!"

"You're so pretty... "

"Thanks, but you could have made that sound a lot more manly than... " Trunks couldn't remember what he was about to say as he trailed off, standing face to face with Gohan, who was equally as silent. They didn't know who initiated it, but they found themselves in an aggressive, heated kiss. It only lasted for a few seconds before they pulled apart; they knew that if they were sober it wouldn't have happened - but in their drunken state, they didn't care.

With their senses surrounded by an intoxicating fuzziness, they kissed again, sliding their arms around each other.

"I missed you," whispered Gohan in between kisses.

He missed the closeness that he had with Trunks before it was ripped away from them; he wanted it back more than anything in that moment. They parted again, Trunks brought one of his hands up to hold Gohan's face, but something was telling him not to push things further; he stumbled forwards again, not really feeling his knees for a number of reasons. Gohan caught him again and held him up against the dresser.

"Careful," he giggled, Trunks laughing back. Gohan lunged forwards, kissing him again but more aggressively than before, biting his lip for access which he was instantly granted out of habit. Trunks felt Gohan's hands move to the button of his jeans, prompting him to stop.

"We're drunk... " he said quietly, trying to act as sober as he could and failing miserably when he forgot about the fact that he was smiling. His body language was only telling Gohan to carry on.

"I know... "

"I'm dizzy... "

"Want to lie down?"

"Luring me into your bed?"

"Like you aren't thinking the same thing," said Gohan, drunkenly pulling him off the dresser and towards the bed; they were that unsteady that they both stumbled, tripping over each other's feet. Trunks at least controlled his fall, ending up on top of Gohan on the bed.

"We're still drunk," he laughed.

"Drunk sex is weird... "

" _You're_ weird," mocked Trunks, taking his jacket off and throwing it carelessly behind him.

"Your face is weird - "

Gohan's sentence ended with a loud giggle as Trunks tickled his sides mercilessly for a few seconds. It all ended in another kiss; Gohan sat up a little to meet Trunks in the middle, letting his hands sneak up the back of his shirt. Trunks got carried away, returning the soft kisses and bites to Gohan's neck, which earned him an approving giggle.

"We don't have to do this," he whispered into his ear, finally seeing an glimmer of logic through the thick fog hanging over them.

"I love you," said Gohan, and that was all he said on the matter since he didn't want to spoil things; it felt like everything was back to normal again. He didn't want to make any doubts he had about what they were doing obvious. In all honesty, he wasn't sure if he could go through with it just yet, but had an overwhelming feeling that he was going to lose him if he didn't.

Gohan's eyes trailed down Trunks' body, lifting his shirt up a little until they set themselves on the wound he received from Frieza driving a sword through him. It had almost healed, but it was likely to mark him for life, along with some of the tiny burns on his back; the cut on his bottom lip had faded to a thin red scar.

"Does it still hurt?" asked Gohan, tracing his thumb around the wound on the right side of his abdomen.

"No," said Trunks. "Not anymore." He watched Gohan stare and feel around it. "I know... it looks bad."

"You're perfect," said Gohan, finally looking at him properly. Trunks smiled back at him, leaning in to kiss him passionately in return and slowly luring him back down so he could lay on top of him.

"I'm serious, we don't have to," whispered Trunks against his lips.

Gohan didn't answer him, kissing him playfully in response before flipping them over. Trunks got comfortable on the neatly made bed as Gohan straddled his hips. Trunks took his hands, entwining their fingers together, unable to keep himself still. Gohan began grinding his hips down, causing Trunks' already sensitive perceptions to make him moan out loud.

"I want you... " Gohan leaned down over him, not letting up on his movements. "I only ever want you... " he whispered, biting and licking the mark on Trunks' neck. Trunks responded to the tingling sensations radiating from his mark, moving his hands down Gohan's sides and down to his hips. Gohan lifted himself back up and straightened his back.

He started grinding faster and harder, Trunks doing the same as he gripped onto his restless hips. They became so aggressive that the bed was creaking under them, emulating their favourite sexual position. Gohan had a good solid hold on Trunks shoulders, the pair of them slowing down as they reached their limit while their clothes were still on.

Gohan leaned over him to get into the drawer in the bedside table, getting out a small bottle of lubrication that they started playing with only in the past month. He tossed it to Trunks, removing himself from him so he could take off his jeans as Trunks sat up to prepare himself. Gohan stumbled around the room, finally kicking off his jeans to the other side of the room, finally creating a mess and hearing Trunks laughing at his clumsiness from behind him. He giggled as he was yanked backwards by his tail and back on the bed. The sudden movement caused his head to spin even more.

He was brought to lie flat on his back, greeting by Trunks as he crawled on top of him. Distracted by passionate, drunken kissing from both sides, Gohan flinched when a lubricated finger slowly pushed into him; his stomach suddenly spiked with nerves, but settled again as quickly as it came, encouraging Trunks to carry on with gentle kisses and dirty whispering.

Apart from Gohan lacking his jeans and underwear, the pair of them were still fully clothed, Trunks hadn't bothered removing his own clothing, save for pushing his pants down a little. Trunks leaned into him a little more once he felt Gohan was ready, trying hard to focus on what he was doing. He buried his head into Gohan's neck as he began pushing into him as carefully as he could, taking all of his concentration and more since he was still drunk.

"Agh - "

Trunks stopped at that foreign noise as soon as he heard it. Pulling his head back up, he saw Gohan's eyes squeezed shut as if he were in pain.

"Sorry... we don't have to - "

"I'm okay," he answered just as quietly. He opened his eyes to look back up at him. "Keep going."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes... " _No..._

Trunks managed to fill him up completely, watching his face as Gohan adjusted. He received a kiss that gave him permission to carry on. He replaced his head, burying it into Gohan's neck as he started thrusting in and out of him. He felt Gohan gripping onto his back and his hair tightly, digging his nails in through his clothes, even pushed his knees up higher to give him more access.

But Gohan wasn't there... he switched off.

The lights were definitely on but nobody was home, though he was desperately trying to find a way back in. He didn't want to have to abandon his body, he wanted to be there, but a combination of alcohol, confusion and flashbacks were begin to course through him. Trunks had no reason to think anything was amiss, thanks to his own clouded judgement.

"Harder... " gasped Gohan, clinging onto reality. He focused on the fact that Trunks was the one doing this to him, and less fixated on the rather rash decision that they'd both just made. He listened to the bed start to creak under them, and a sexy moan coming from Trunks as he sped up, complying to Gohan's wishes. Although Gohan was acknowledging with his own vocal responses, he was starting to fade away, feeling nothing apart from the aching pleasure in his body and letting it take him over.

As Trunks hit him where he liked it the most over and over, he was brought back out of nothingness, returning to himself as his approaching orgasm became difficult to ignore. He held onto him tighter, feeling Trunks' torso begin to tense with every move. Gohan stared over his shoulder at the ceiling until a wave hit them both at the same time, sending them over the edge. Gohan could feel something hot filling him up as he emptied himself into his and Trunks' clothed stomachs.

Trunks rolled off him towards the wall and onto his side as he caught his breath; the room smelled like drink, sweat and sex. Gohan was still shaking from his climax, his body enjoying the calm that followed... but he felt numb as he came back down again. It was then that Trunks noticed something was off.

"Hey," he said softly, gently sliding his arms around Gohan's waist. Gohan's attention was diverted from the ceiling again. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... " _I don't know..._

Gohan smiled at him, turning over to bring Trunks' head into his chest. He kept him there, allowing his face to fall back into it's passive expression, analyzing the wall opposite him. He kissed Trunk's head, holding him close and automatically combing his fingers through his long hair until Trunks fell asleep. Gohan finally let his guard down, his heart sank to the pit of his stomach.

He wasn't ready for that. Neither of them were.

He cursed himself for drinking so much. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it only made things worse in the long run. He shouldn't have had sex with him so soon after what happened; they were only just starting to speak properly again that day. He knew for a fact that Trunks was going to feel so guilty in the morning, if he remembered it at all.

Gohan wanted to forget it ever happened, feeling himself begin to sober up. He carefully shifted out of Trunks' arms and put his jeans back on, also changing his shirt. Without looking back, he sneaked out of the room and back into the living room, where Yamcha, Krillin, Jeice and Recoome were still drinking. Everyone else had passed out around the room, in a deep sleep for the rest of the night.

"Hey, w-where have you been?" stuttered Recoome.

"Nowhere," said Gohan passively, sitting down on the floor with them all.

"That post-coital flush is a dead giveaway," slurred Jeice. Gohan's hand instantly went to his own face, feeling that it was still red hot. "Trunks still in one piece?"

"Yep... " he said dismissively, reaching for a bottle of what looked like vodka, but his vision was blurring from tiredness.

"Maybe we should turn in you guys," mumbled Krillin, Yamcha agreeing with him.

"One more for the road?" said Jeice, holding up his glass. "Here's to getting ourselves fucking killed in two days... "

"You're already dead, Jeice," laughed Yamcha.

"Yeah well... nobody asked you... " he drawled humorously. "Gohan? Where you going? " Gohan suddenly got up and left the room without a word, hurrying to the bathroom that was nearest to his room, shutting the door behind him. He pulled out the bottle from under his shirt that was still almost full.

Feeling more depressed than ever, he began guzzling it down, even though it tasted like paint stripper and burned his esophagus all the way down.

 _Cell was right about you..._ Gohan's intoxicated state let his barriers break and suddenly, all of his negative thoughts began echoing loudly in his brain. _You're such a fucking little whore... you're a worthless piece of nothing..._

The bottle was empty an hour later; Gohan fell to his knees as his head began spinning, dropping it to the floor. The bottle shattered by the toilet, and as Gohan fell to the ground, his hand accidentally landed in the broken glass. He acknowledge it with a slight yelp, but he was so drunk that it didn't really hurt, simply watching his hand bleed as if he'd never seen blood before.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit him hard, he felt hot and sweaty, his stomach tied up into knots. He unsteadily shifted on his knees to lean over the toilet basin. Just as he heard the door open, his stomach contracted and he threw up before he could see who it was. Between retches, he felt his hair being moved out of the way and his back being rubbed to sooth him. He at least had the sense to wipe his mouth with a cloth he'd knocked on the floor after staggering around before turning to see how was comforting him.

Trunks was a little more sober after an hour of sleep, but he could feel the inevitable headache begin to creep up on him. He did remember that they'd just slept together, instantly regretting it and finding Gohan to see if he was okay; it wasn't like him to sneak out of their bedroom like that.

"Your hand... " Trunks was meant to ask him how he was feeling but he caught sight of the blood coming from his palm. He was worried that he was self harming again for a second before he realised that he must have put his hand on the broken glass by accident; Gohan never cut on his hands in the past anyway.

"I-I'm sorry... " he sobbed incoherently, bursting into tears. Gohan wasn't even sure what he was sorry for, but everything finally caught up to him. Trunks pulled him into and embrace, silently weeping to himself too, as they cradled each other on the bathroom floor for the rest of the night.

 **Yeah, that came to a rather depressing end, didn't it?**

 **The final battle draws near, but who will win? Will Hell break loose again? Will Cell and Frieza be stopped? All will be revealed...**


	32. Pressure

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Bit of a short one this time, but I'm writing the next chapter as you are reading this :)**

 **CHAPTER 32: PRESSURE**

The tiniest ray of morning sun blared out through a gap in the curtain, shining right on Trunks' face as he woke up. The amount of alcohol he consumed the night before left him with an extremely dull headache. As soon as he was blinded he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose - he hadn't had a hangover this bad in _years._

He shuffled around awkwardly causing the covers to catch against his clothes. Putting his hand out in front of him, he finally opened his eyes into a squint, realising that he was alone.

Trunks had to take a few seconds to remember what went on; he very rarely woke up alone these days. The room felt so empty without Gohan or Nita there. As he felt his eyes threaten to close again, the bedroom door opened quietly. He expected the heaviness in his chest to finally lift when he saw Gohan, but it didn't, and that saddened him even more. Gohan closed the door as silently as he could before turning around.

"Hey! Sorry, did I wake you?" he said in a soft voice. Gohan had Nita in one arm, balancing her and a glass of water on the same side.

"Urgh... I don't even think my father could have woke me up with the way I feel... " he groaned, letting forehead rest in one of his hands. Gohan handed him the glass of water tentatively.

"Here, drink this," he said just as gently as before. "It'll make it go away faster."

"Thanks," mumbled Trunks. He gulped down about half of it before putting the glass on the bedside table. Gohan put Nita into her crib then sat on the edge of the bed next to him. "You okay?"

"Not great," he answered honestly, he wasn't fairing much better with his own stale headache and dry mouth. "It'll go away after lunch at some point hopefully - "

"That's not what I meant," said Trunks as he sat himself up to sit next to him. He was pushing for answers, not caring what time it was or how his hangover started to present to him in the form of a nauseating vertigo. Gohan opened his mouth to answer, but released a loud sigh and shrugged his shoulders.

"Do we really have to talk about this now?" he asked pathetically. He didn't have the energy.

"We might all be gone in two days. If that happens, then I don't want to go with us stuck like this," said Trunks. He didn't want to have to contemplate the battle's outcome so negatively, but one of them had to say it, or else they weren't going to get anywhere.

"I don't know what to say... "

"I can start." Trunks took a deep breath, predicting that this could either go really well or turn just about as ugly as it could get. "Why don't you ever mention what happened in the gravity chamber?" Gohan's eyes slid slowly up to the ceiling - his hiding place, where he went to when he was in a situation that he couldn't escape from.

"Because if I do, then... " Gohan stopped to swallow the painful lump in his throat. "Then... it was real... I don't want it to be real."

"It was real," said Trunks. "And that's why you can't look at me."

"I thought you were dead. I thought they were going to kill me too... you were just lying there..." said Gohan, his voice cracking. After spending so many years wishing death upon himself, being attacked and preyed on, then watching Trunks being tortured as well made him thing for the first time... he didn't want to die; he had a family to live for.

"I keep feeling like a complete idiot for getting stabbed with my own sword. I just lay there wishing I'd had my guard up... "

"I'm sorry... "

"Why do you keep apologising?" asked Trunks. "It's wasn't your fault. It was their's."

"I gave up on you!" cried Gohan. "As soon as he stabbed you. I thought that was it... I thought you were gone. I should have fought harder!"

"You couldn't have stopped them. I saw what they were doing to you - "

"He's raped me before," he said. "I should be able to stop it, fight him off! I should know the warning signs by now!"

"Gohan, you know it never works like that."

"Did he do anything you?"

"What?"

"When he was done with me... did he do the same to you?" asked Gohan seriously. He was looking at Trunks now, his eyes were narrowed as if he was ready to explode if the answer was yes.

"No," said Trunks doubtlessly.

"Good," said Gohan, nodding his head as he sighed with relief. "Sorry about last night."

"It's okay," replied Trunks. "I'm sorry that I didn't say anything to stop you. But I just wanted to know... why do you think so little of yourself?"

"What?" Gohan looked at him again, confused by his question.

"You were raped just over a week ago, and you're climbing into bed with me... why?"

"I don't know," mumbled Gohan glumly, feeling trapped. There was no hiding from Trunks - he knew Gohan inside out. "I just wanted to be close to you."

"You already _are_ close to me," said Trunks softly. He moved some of Gohan's dark hair out of his eyes, not liking the look on Gohan's face.

"He tried to take me away from you - _again_. I wanted to prove to you that he doesn't have control over me anymore!"

"I shouldn't have let you do that last night... "

"How were you supposed to know how I was feeling? We were trashed and I told you that I was okay!"

"And were you?"

"I don't know... " said Gohan honestly. "I _was_ okay... I loved just being with you again... but th-then I... " He hid his face in his hands as he became overwhelmed. The hand rubbing his back in a comforting manner seemed to sooth him a little. "I got lost."

"Lost?"

"I shut down, I didn't mean to... I wanted to be there with you but... it was like before. Back when I was with him. It felt so empty."

"I know... "

"You felt that too?" Gohan lifted his head up to see that Trunks was just as sad as he was.

"Yeah," admitted Trunks. "And you weren't the only one... I tried to shut out what happened, but it made the whole thing seem hollow."

"I never want it to be meaningless with you... " said Gohan. "You mean everything to me." Trunks pulled him into an embrace, holding him to his chest.

"I'm with you because I love you, you do realise that right? It's not just physical."

"I know, I think we both just got lost for a while... "

* * *

Time passed quicker than they would have liked... but, with Goku and Cooler's powers of instant transmission, the fighters were heading to Hell in just a few short hours.

It was still dark outside, Gohan looked over at the clock on the bedside table, which read that it was 4am. He hadn't slept a wink all night, he was secretly wishing that Nita wasn't asleep so he could at least spend some time with her; that was the one thing that he was most terrified of. What if he never saw her again after tomorrow? How was he sure that they were all going to make it out?

Gohan let out a harsh sigh, blowing his hair out of his face only for it to land back where it was. He was way too wired to sleep, he couldn't switch off. He rolled onto his back, taking a look at Trunks, who was in a deep sleep. He reached out to his face to bring his hair out of his eyes and behind him on the pillow. Trunks didn't even flinch at his touch, leading Gohan to be jealous of him; he always was a heavy sleeper... when he _got_ to sleep, that was. Gohan was surprised that Trunks wasn't feeling as edgy as he was.

He resisted the urge to punch at the bed out of annoyance and got up. Maybe a walk and a glass of water might help him shut down. Before that, however, he walked over silently to the crib and looked in to see Nita happily slumbering. She was on her back, arms out at either side of her head. He watched her little chest rise and fall evenly, listening to her breath sounds. Gohan felt his heart swell; she looked so content.

"I love you," he whispered softly as he traced his fingers over her cheek.

Gohan left the room as silently as he could. The whole building seemed to be out for night - apart from him, typically. He walked through the corridors, wearing just a vest and some loose trousers that he used to sleep in. Pouring himself a glass of water, he wandered into the darkness of the living room, trying his best to take his mind off things.

"Close the door."

Gohan managed not to choke on that last sip of water at the sound of his voice, but obeyed him as if it was still hardwired into his brain. His motor function took over without even giving him the choice to run. But even if he did run, he was sure that wouldn't have got very far anyway.

"Trunks survived, did he?"

"Stay away from him," snapped Gohan. That would have sounded more threatening if his voice wasn't shaking. He couldn't bring himself to meet those red eyes glowering at him from the other side of the room. "What do you want?"

"I hear tomorrow is the big day," sneered Cell with malicious grin. "How exactly do you plan on stopping us?"

Gohan had no idea how to answer that; he didn't have the first clue.

"What makes you think I'd tell you?" he asked as evenly as he could.

"We share everything Gohan, remember?" mocked Cell, shooting him a smile that made Gohan want to be sick.

"Don't even _try_ to crawl back into my head."

"Come on... tell me. I need something to laugh at."

"I don't know anything," said Gohan. He wasn't lying, he didn't really know what the plan was. It had all been carefully put together by Vegeta, Goku, Piccolo and Cooler over the past few days.

"Hm, how disappointing. I'd have thought that they would have informed you."

"Maybe they anticipated that you would try to manipulate the information out of me. Because this is why you're really here, isn't it?"

"Gohan... do you really think so little of me?" taunted Cell in a patronizing voice. "I'm here because I wanted to tell you something... before you die."

"And what would that be?"

"I just wanted to let you know that... I love you." Cell smiled at him wickedly as he said it, as if he was waiting for Gohan to react to it; the boy's eyes seemed to widen at least. "I think that we could really make a go of being a family."

"Wow... " sighed Gohan, before his shocked expression fell into a frown. "... you're so full of crap." Cell merely laughed, not expecting him to fall for his little joke. "I don't know anything, so just leave. I'm sleepy."

Gohan swept the android's snide attempts at hurting him aside, completely ignoring it. Less than a year ago, he would have given anything to hear those three words from him. But now he realised that it meant nothing to him now. Whenever Trunks said it to him, he felt like he could conquer the world, but hearing it from Cell right now made his stomach turn out of regret; their entire relationship was a huge mistake - and in the past. The only thing good that came out of it was Nita. And he wasn't going to let Cell anywhere near her after choosing this path...

"You may think that they didn't tell you out of fear of me beating it out of you, but I'll bet anything that they're not telling you because they don't trust you."

"Stop trying to manipulate me. It doesn't work anymore."

"Neither will this magnificent plan... you won't be able to stop us."

"And by us do you mean you and Frieza?" said Gohan, trying to keep his nerve. He was used to Cell's menacing presence by now, usually it wouldn't have bothered him... but those crimson eyes and veined skin only reminded him of what happened in the gravity chamber. All he could hear was screaming. "I didn't think that you'd sink as low as to join forces with that freak... "

"Frieza came to _me_ actually. He helped me learn to wield this power to my own advantage. Yes, it does whittle you down a little and change your appearance, but it's worth the rush."

"You chose _this_ over loving your daughter?" Gohan felt strange. He wasn't angry like he though he'd end up being, or upset - he was calmer than ever. It was like he'd just been given some sort of closure. "I guess you were right... you don't care about Nita at all."

"Anything is better than having feelings... I'd have thought that you would agree with me on that," remarked Cell, who was slowly approaching him. Gohan stood his ground, not removing his eyes from him. "But no... you've gone back to your pathetic human life that you spent so long trying to escape from."

"I don't understand why you've thrown your only chance away for some power. It's no different from the antranide, you're an addict, and you don't even realise it."

"This isn't an addiction... this is who I am, Gohan."

"I know," he said. "But I also understand why you attacked us that day. You wanted me back, didn't you?"

"I wanted to hurt you. I _still_ want to hurt you. I want to _crush_ your pathetic little life into dust. We could have been the ultimate destruction if you'd stayed with me."

"I don't want anymore destruction!" cried Gohan, but getting through to Cell was proving to be difficult. "I want you to leave me alone!"

"You wanted this once," said Cell, completely ignoring him. "You still do deep down... I know you."

"You don't know me at all!"

"You love me," said the android with certainty - but he was taken aback by Gohan's reply as the saiyan walked closer to him to answer to his face.

"I don't love you," he snarled, looking him right in the eye as he said it. "I _never_ loved you."

"Liar... "

"Why would I lie if I'm so bad at it?" Gohan was started to get clever. The tables were turned... and now Cell felt the last bit of control he had over Gohan finally slip from his fingers. "If anything... I feel _sorry_ for you. You've lost the very thing that could have truly transformed you."

"I haven't lost anything!" growled Cell.

"I even had this stupid thought that I could actually save you myself... that I had a shot at fixing you," he continued in an even tone. "But there was nothing in there for me to put back together in the first place was there? You're a void, hollow waste of space."

"... that you had feelings for. Don't deny that you didn't. What does that make you?"

"Yeah, I had feelings for you... because I used you and clung to you because I had no other reason to exist for. But now I do, and it's finally made me realise that I never loved you. And I never will."

"What makes you think that you can walk away from me?" asked Cell angrily, trying to keep his temper under control. It was taking every ounce of his strength not to vaporize the entire building where he stood. Gohan laughed mockingly.

"There's literally _nothing_ else you can do to me, Cell. I'm not scared of you anymore and you have no control over me." Gohan finally had what he wanted - Cell was silent, but furious. "For somebody who claims to have no feelings, you look pretty fucked off." Gohan looked at him up and down with his eyes like he was nothing before smiling. "Goodbye, Cell."

 _Wrong again... you belong to me, you saiyan whore!_ As Gohan turned to leave, he was grabbed by the wrist and held so tightly that he thought the bones in his arm and hand were going to be crushed.

"Let go of me!"

Cell smirked at him evilly before Gohan felt something suddenly flash all the way up his arm and into his body. Gohan struggled against the rush of energy surging through him at such a frequency that it caused small purple electrical pulses spark off him everywhere. It felt evil, not even his saiyan half felt this corrupt. It was pure and endless, it caused him pain as his body adjusted to it. The android finally let him go, causing Gohan to stumble backwards.

"W-what did you do to me?" he asked breathlessly. He'd never had a head rush like this before. It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. He didn't know whether he wanted to feel it or kill himself to get away from it. Cell laughed maliciously when Gohan's eyes finally flashed red, mirroring his own.

"Something to remember me by," said Cell. He watched Gohan struggle to contain his power.

"Make it stop!" he begged. He hated having this power, it wasn't his; it was Cell's. And with it came the emptiness of the android's being, making him feel everything and nothing at the same time. In time, he managed to calm down by breathing, containing the energy better until it suddenly vanished as if it was never there, and Gohan's eyes returned to normal. "What the hell was that?"

"Just a taster of my power... enjoy."

Gohan looked at him wide-eyed before finally leaving the room. He ended up in the bathroom, checking in the mirror for any augmentations to his appearance; he looked completely normal. He still felt the energy in him, but it might have been the shock to his system that was mimicking it still being there. He must have waited in there for about an hour before he finally felt comfortable enough to go to bed.

Now he was tired.

That was just too much to take... Gohan went back to his room, finding Nita and Trunks still fast asleep. Whatever that was, it was gone now.

He sat down on the bed, smiling as he watched Trunks sleep; he was so beautiful. Gohan recalled everything he just said to Cell and his heart swelled with confidence. This was where he belonged. Gohan was about to lie down to get at least a couple of hours rest before they had to get out of bed... but something in him changed.

The energy came back. It wasn't as strong as before, but slowly swallowed his heart up to the point where it felt like it stopped. Dark energy came off him in waves and his eyes flashed red again. The very awareness that he was human had gone, taken over by something he couldn't describe. What was left of him inside his brain urged him to fight it... but two words began ringing through his head as he gazed upon his slumbering mate.

 _Kill him._

Gohan wondered if that thought was real. He felt panic begin to rise, but the energy washed over it, dampening it down so that it could carry on possessing him, making him think things that he would never contemplate in a million years.

 _Kill him._

He fought the urge as hard as he could, placing his hand on Trunks' face and caressing it in an attempt to being himself back from the brink of wherever this energy was about to throw him. Trunks didn't flinch or react to his touch, still in a deep sleep, as Gohan trailed his hand down to his neck, feeling his pulse under his fingers.

 _Kill him._

He squeezed his eyes shut to try and rid himself of these thoughts... that voice sounded like his own, but it didn't. It was a terrifying evil - and it was inside him. Trunks' pulse began to get under his skin in a bad way, urging him to stop it altogether. Gohan was still in there somewhere, fighting to come back. He wanted the love in his heart to come back, but the dark energy locked it away.

 _Kill him._

Gohan's right hand joined the other on Trunks' neck, his corrupted mind now wondering what it would be like to feel his neck breaking under his fingers. He adjusted himself on the bed, carefully throwing his leg over Trunks and straddling him, hands still softly placed on his neck. He traced over his throat with his fingertips, feeling an uncomfortable yet invigorating urge to rip it out.

 _Do it..._

He wrapped his hands around Trunk's neck slowly, savoring every moment, before steadily adding pressure. Trunks finally stirred, opening his eyes when he felt his throat becoming tighter by the second. He was disoriented by the sight of Gohan on top of him, his eyes a fiery red - before he realised that Gohan had his hands around his neck.

"Gohan? What are you - "

Before Trunks could adjust to the threat looming over him, Gohan increased his grip, shifting his body weight to add even more pressure. He pushed his thumbs and the palm of his hands into his throat, feeling a sickening pleasure as he began to choke. Trunks was trying to reason with him at first, but his eyes filled with panic... and betrayal - Gohan was trying to kill him.

His legs thrashed desperately under him, Trunks was even instinctively trying to throw him off by using his hips, but Gohan remained as solid as a rock on top of him, not moving at all apart from the strength he was using to strangle him. Gohan was finding some sort of sick pleasure in it, the dark energy in him hollowed his emotions out so that he was completely void of any compassion.

Trunks tried to pry Gohan's hands off his neck, but it was no use, then he started trying to push him off by his shoulders, despite rapidly losing consciousness. Gohan started laughing maniacally as if it was all just a game. Trunks' eyes began watering, Gohan couldn't tell if it was the pressure on his neck or if he was crying, but he wasn't struggling anymore.

 _Just a little more._

Trunks' neck broke, instantly taking out his central nervous system.

Gohan removed his hands from his lover's throat, revealing angry purple bruises. Trunks' eyes were still open, his head lingering off to the side as he was released - he was dead.

 _It feels good, doesn't it?_

That wasn't his own voice inside his head - it was Cell's.


	33. Sick Fantasy

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 33: SICK FANTASY**

"Trunks?"

The energy dissipated again as if it was never there in the first place. Gohan's hands shook with the strain he was putting into his assault, and with the realisation of what he'd just done... He felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach, he went dizzy with the palpitations of his heart going into overdrive.

"Trunks?"

Gohan said his name a little louder, nudging him a little by his shoulder. He was still warm, but he was so still. Trunks' eyes were still open, glazed over and gazing off to the other side of the room in the direction that he head was now facing. Gohan couldn't bear the silence, he wanted him to laugh and reassure him that it was all just a joke.

"W-wake up... " choked Gohan. Tears sprang to his eyes when he shook him with a little more force. "Trunks, come on... please."

As Gohan began crying, his voice began to waver. He took Trunks by both his shoulders and shook him harder.

"Trunks! Wake up!"

The energy that Cell gave him was gone. It hadn't shown any signs of returning, like it had just left Gohan there to deal with the consequences of what it made him do. He cried hopelessly, begging him to move, but Trunks' body just lay lifelessly under him, not reacting to anything Gohan was saying or doing.

Seeing Trunks lying dead under him was destroying him... for a few minutes anyway. The energy returned, dampening his grief. In a swift motion, he lifted himself off Trunks and onto his feet - moving steadily toward the crib in the far corner.

Nita was still sleeping soundly, despite the fact that death radiated all around the room; she didn't stir, she was oblivious to everything that was going on. The energy inside Gohan shuddered with disgust at her unadulterated innocence, not understanding it, and not wanting to either.

He held his hand out over her and prepared to strike. He tried to force the energy out of his hand - but couldn't. Why couldn't he do it? Killing Trunks was easy, but why not Nita? It wasn't like she could defend herself.

Instead, he took his hand back and exited the room as he felt the same energy coming from the living room. Striding through the hallways, not caring if he woke anybody and neglecting to realise that he left the door to his room wide open for Trunks' body to be found by anyone who happened to walk past.

Gohan found himself in the living room again, growling in frustration when the power he was following disappeared as soon as he got there. He doubled back when it reappeared. He ended up back in his room, seeing Cell approach him; his eyes flashed red again, mirroring the android's.

"How did it feel?" he asked quietly.

"What?" Gohan shook his head, trying to rid himself of the dark energy swirling around his brain.

"Taking a life with your bare hands," he sneered arrogantly, looking at Gohan as if he was seeing him anew. "Especially that of someone so close to you."

Gohan felt a spark of remorse flicker in his chest when he turned to look at Trunks. His blue eyes were still staring lifelessly into nothing.

"Trunks... " he gasped, suddenly hating everything he did.

"You did that."

"No... "

"You did that for a reason, Gohan."

"No, why would I do something like that?!" he cried.

"Look at me!" growled Cell, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking some sense, well, _out_ of him. Or what little sense remained in him with dark energy hollowing the rest of it away. "You killed him."

"Why?" he asked honestly. Gohan couldn't understand why he wanted to kill him in the first place. Neither could he understand why he wasn't feeling guilty about it.

"Because you belong with me," said the android manipulatively, coaxing Gohan back to him with an almost reassuring look on his face.

Gohan's eyebrows knitted together with confusion, his crimson eyes looking up at Cell for answers. The android released his painful grip on Gohan's shoulders, leaning in for a kiss which caused him to flinch and shy away from it. Cell went for him a second time, Gohan receiving him hesitantly; it didn't feel right, nothing about any of this felt right - or real.

Nevertheless, he threw his arms around the android's neck, letting the energy guide him rather than listening to his erratic instincts. He found himself embroiled in a violent kiss, he was kissing him back like he hadn't seen him in years, like he loved him. But he didn't know why.

Gohan felt himself being pushed back onto the bed, his head and upper back landing on something soft that he didn't care to register, letting Cell ravage his mouth and his body, handing himself over without a decent fight. The energy was telling him to enjoy it, but there was still something in him that was telling him to stop.

Cell was feeling around him, moving his hand down to rub against his crotch through his clothes. Gohan responded vocally, encouraging him to keep going.

"I told you... " panted Cell between planting soft kisses against Gohan's neck. "You love me."

"I - ah - " Gohan couldn't get the words out... whatever those words were going to be, he didn't know exactly.

"Say it... tell me that you love me."

"I lo- " He was cut off again when Cell's hand slipped into his pants. Both the dark energy mixed with sexual pleasure was overwhelming - until he turned his head and realised what he was lying on - or rather, who.

He was resting on top of Trunks, his head and shoulders on his torso. It brought him back down to earth again.

"What was that? I didn't hear you."

"No... " he said in barely a whisper.

"Sorry?"

"I said no!" cried Gohan, shoving Cell back. The android growled at him in response, resorting to using force, but Gohan lashed out, pushing him back violently until he was on his feet so he could shove him further until he was out of the room. Not even considering that a bedroom door would not be enough to keep Cell away, he slammed it shut in the android's face regardless.

He panted, his breath ragged as his eyes returned to normal and the energy disappeared once more. He darted over to the bed, leaning over Trunks before bursting into tears - he was gone forever.

"Please! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" he sobbed. Gohan finally fell forwards, burying his head into the crook of Trunks' broken neck, ignoring the bruises and kissing his mark, vainly hoping that it would do something. He curled his arms under him and held him tight, crying even harder when Trunks didn't hug him back; his body was completely limp, it was like cuddling a rag doll. "Don't go! Wake up!"

* * *

"Wake up... " he uttered, before a bump to the shoulder made him open his eyes.

"You're the one sleeping," laughed Trunks.

Gohan was still figuring out what just happened, taking in the fact that it was daylight, and Trunks was smiling down at him. _Wait... you're alive?!_ Gohan suddenly tackled Trunks down, flipping him onto his back and hugging him so tight to himself that he never wanted to let go.

"I love you too... " sighed Trunks with what little breath he could muster to say it. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I just had a nightmare... " mumbled Gohan, burying his face into his neck. He hadn't felt relief like this, it felt so real; He could still feel his neck breaking under his fingers, he could remember the way he thrashed and struggled under him as he fought against his hold like it really happened.

"What about?" Trunks pushed him up by his shoulders to bring him out of hiding. "Gohan, you're trembling... "

"I... uh... " _I murdered you in your sleep because I wanted to see the look of fear in your eyes, then I nearly had sex on top of your dead body with my ex._ He couldn't exactly tell him that... not with them heading out to battle later that day. They had enough to worry about.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't remember," he lied. "It's weird how it just fades away like that. Feels so real when it happens and then poof... it's gone."

Trunks brought him back down to rest on his chest, holding him close. Gohan embraced him in return, still trying to convince himself that it was all just a bad dream. Trunks was alive, and this was real life. Hearing Trunks sigh brought him out of his own head again, sensing frustration in his voice.

"I wish we could... stay here. Just for a little longer," he said sadly.

"You really hate mornings, huh?"

"It's not that." Trunks sighed again, trying not to dig himself an inescapable hole by saying the wrong thing. "I suppose it's not what you want to hear right now, but I just wish that we could... "

"You want a fuck, don't you?" giggled Gohan, raising his head to look at his face. Trunks rolled his eyes with a corresponding laugh.

"No, not a fuck," he answered dramatically. "I wanted to make love to you."

"Oh," said Gohan in response. He knew now that fucking and making love were two completely different things these days. "So did I."

"You're beautiful." Trunks brushed Gohan's hair out of his eyes; it was a habit he'd picked up over the past few weeks, tidying his wild, unkempt hair, only for it to immediately spring back to where it was before. Gohan was beginning to worry, taking to stroking Trunks' arm to keep himself anchored. He was scared that he was going to wake up, and Trunks would still be lying dead underneath him.

"Why are you talking like this is the last time we're going to be together?" asked Gohan. _Please tell me it was just a nightmare... I don't want you to leave me..._

"I've just got a bad feeling," admitted Trunks. "We're not all going to make it, are we?"

"No," replied Gohan instantly. He didn't have any doubt in his mind about that; some of them were indeed going to perish. "Want to know what I think?"

"Go on... "

"We're going to be here, in this bed, and we're going to make love - _after_ this is over," said Gohan, trying to believe every single word.

"You really think so?" Gohan leaned down and kissed him in response, before Nita's babbling brought them out of it.

* * *

"I don't want to leave you," he whispered softly. Gohan walked Nita up and down one of the gardens in private after breakfast, savoring every single moment as if it was the last. "I'm going to try my best to stop this... and make sure that you get every chance in the world."

Nita clung to his blue gi, breathing heavily as she took in all of the bright colours of the garden. Gohan knew that she loved it outside, around all the greens, pinks and yellows. He noted down the date and stored it away in his brain; April 14th, Age 773. Nita would be 4 months old in three days, and he wasn't even sure if he was going to be around to see it - largely because he didn't know how long this battle was going to last. Hours? Days? He didn't know.

But he was determined more than ever to see her learn to crawl, to stand, then to walk and run. Eventually learn to talk, then if she would be anything like Goten, she'd ask him endless questions about anything and everything. He wanted to see her grow into a moody, secretive teenager and give him backchat like any other girl that age.

Gohan saw his ideal future unraveling in front of him - and he prayed that Trunks was going to be there with him, every step of the way. Speaking of...

"The guys are ready to go," said Trunks as he walked over to them. "Goku's just saying goodbye to Goten and Haru."

"I don't want to leave her, Trunks," said Gohan pathetically. He knew that he had to go, but wanted to tear himself in two so that one of him could stay behind.

"Me neither," sighed Trunks, pulling them both into his arms. He took one of Nita's tiny hands with his finger, watching her grip onto it and smile back at him.

"We're like a little family, aren't we?" said Gohan, blurting it out without even thinking.

"Yeah, we are," agreed Trunks.

"I know that biologically she's really... his, but she'll always be yours. You're the one that's going to be there."

"I do love her like she's mine," he said. "It's funny how things turn out... way back when the Gohan from my world died, I swore to myself that I'd never have children."

"Really?" Gohan was surprised, especially with how family oriented he was.

"Back then, things were so bad that I didn't see the point in prolonging our existence if we were going to die anyway. Then after it was over, I just became so focused on rebuilding the world that I didn't even consider settling down... but you've completely changed me. I can't imagine going a single day without seeing her."

"I never would have thought... you're so natural with her."

"You ready to go?" he asked.

"I guess. I think I need to hand her over before I just run away with her instead."

Handing her over proved harder than he initially thought. In fact, he cried. Nita was happily gurgling away and babbling to herself as he took her to Chi Chi, but as soon as he got there with his mother ready to take her from him, his arms seemed to lock and his chest became tighter. He ended up kissing her over and over until he broke down in tears, feeling like he was saying goodbye forever.

After the emotional handover, Nita also began crying, which made Gohan feel even worse. As serious as the situation was, he couldn't help but notice how comical it was; he always thought his mother was strange for becoming an inconsolable wreck whenever he went off fighting as a kid. At least now he understood...

"We're heading out in two teams," said Vegeta as they all gathered up. "All of us are travelling there through Kakarot, while Recoome, Guldo and Piccolo head out with Cooler to do some reconnaissance in a smaller team. They're going now to give themselves a good head start. If you need the bathroom, go now. This isn't going to be pretty."

Gohan suddenly needed the bathroom as soon as Vegeta mentioned it. He found himself sprinting there. After relieving himself, he went to the sink to wash his hands, looking at himself in the mirror; he commended himself for not cringing at his own reflection like he used to. He then wondered if this would be the last time he'd see his own reflection, a dark thought plaguing his mind that they were all going to die horribly.

 _Why do I keep thinking like this?_ He shook his head, concentrating on the water running from the tap. He uttered various curse words under his breath when he accidentally soaked his right wrist band when he accidentally splashed the water a little too much. But when he took the red wrist band off, his heart began pounding anxiously.

His wrist was bruised... and they weren't even a day old yet by the looks of it. He examined it further, counting five individual dark red bruises around his wrist that seemed to meet in the middle like it was in the shape of a hand. _Wait..._ Gohan's dreaded nightmare of himself murdering Trunks began with a heated conversation with Cell. _So that really happened? I did talk to Cell last night?_ He recalled the android grabbing hold of his wrist tightly when he didn't like the way Gohan told him where to hypothetically shove his propositions, so to speak.

Then came the rush of power, the same power that later seemed to possess him into strangling Trunks as he slept. _But Trunks is alive... it couldn't have been real... did I see Cell then fall sleep?_

He couldn't remember what really happened and what didn't. Both occurrences were swimming around his head in a way that he couldn't tell them apart; whether they were real, just a dream, or if the first part of it was real and _then_ he had the nightmare about Trunks. _What if this is all a dream too? What if Trunks is really dead?_

But he definitely wasn't dreaming right now. What if the power Cell had forced on him was still inside him - waiting for the right moment to strike?

Gohan could remember exactly how he felt as he was attacking Trunks; it felt like a thrill he'd never experienced before. He felt his stomach turn at the thought of _enjoying_ something so sadistic and evil. Then came a memory that nauseated him further - Cell coaxing him back into bed, making him lie on top of Trunks as he tried to make Gohan his again.

Putting his wristband back on after waving it somewhat drier than it was before, he went to meet the other fighters in the front garden, pushing his personal dilemma to the back of his mind. The sooner the fight was over, the better.

* * *

"Hey, Gohan! You ready to go?" said Krillin as cheerfully as he could.

"No," laughed Gohan weakly.

"At least _he's_ being honest about it," remarked Guldo. "I know for a fact that everyone here is shitting themselves, but won't admit it."

"Grow a pair, four eyes!" yelled Vegeta, who wasn't in the mood for cowardly gestures.

"You okay?" asked Trunks, putting his hand on Gohan's arm affectionately.

"No," he laughed again, smiling nervously at his mate.

"What did I tell you brats about public displays?!" growled Vegeta, not caring that all the fighters were now looking at them.

"We weren't!" protested Trunks vainly.

"I don't want you two to be distracted by each other. You'll have plenty of time to gaze into each other's eyes later."

"What's your problem, Vegeta?" quizzed Gohan, not knowing why he wasn't just letting it lie; he knew that Vegeta was only picking a fight with them because he was hiding his fear along with everyone else... Vegeta just had his own 'special' way of doing it. "He put his hand on my arm like my dad does to everyone... "

"This isn't the time for romance. I need you focused!" he scoffed angrily.

"I _promise_ we'll try not to screw each other," snarled Gohan dryly before walking off to the side. Trunks looked at Vegeta rather awkwardly for a few seconds, following Gohan sheepishly as the silence between the other fighters watching had dissipated into chatter.

"Gohan, what was that about?" asked Trunks softly.

"I don't know, he just really got under my skin for some reason," he said, folding his arms. _What the hell was that, Gohan? Why did you say that?_ He could feel something eerily familiar brewing in his stomach - he didn't like it.

"We're all feeling it. Though the look on his face was pretty damn priceless after you walked away," chuckled Trunks. "Can you hold this for a second?"

Gohan took Trunks' sword from him as he took off his jacket, figuring that it would be pointless to take it along with them.

"Trunks?"

"Yeah?" Trunks looked over at him as he dumped his jacket by the wall of the building. His face curled up in confusion - Gohan was giving him a rather funny look. "What?"

 _You know you want to feel him die..._

Gohan felt whatever was brewing in him since he left the bathroom finally explode within him, a negative energy filled him in seconds. Quickly, he removed the scabbard from the sword and darted forwards, driving it into the center of Trunks' torso with such force that it penetrated him fully. The blade stuck out of his back, blood dripping from it onto the green grass under them. Gohan held them both there, the hilt pressed tightly against him to drive the sword in as much as possible.

Trunks's body began to shake with the shock, but didn't feel any pain yet since it all happened so quickly; Gohan's eyes were a fiery red, glaring back into his own as he was also met with a gleeful smile.

"G-Gohan... " Trunks began choking on his own blood as it started to rise up and leak from his mouth.

Gohan simply smiled, laughing quietly to himself, feeling the rush of the power he had surging through him, as well as the power of taking someone's life. He yanked the sword out slowly, letting Trunks fall forwards onto him. Warm blood coated his hand and trickled down from his shoulder as it leaked out of Trunks' mouth. Holding him up, he drew the sword back, stabbing him again with just as much force... and again... and again...

"Gohan?"

He came back to reality with a start, seeing Trunks stood in front of him looking concerned.

"Can I have my sword back?" he asked, holding his hand out.

"Huh?"

"The sword."

Gohan still had hold of it, it was still sheathed... and Trunks wasn't on the sharp end of it and coughing up blood like he was two seconds ago.

 _What the fuck is going on?!_

"Are you sure you're up for this?" asked Trunks.

"Yeah," he answered sheepishly. "We'd better go."

He shook his head, pretending that he was as okay as he could be under the circumstances. But he was deeply disturbed by how real that felt. Had he zoned out at some point? And even so, why was his brain playing out a sick fantasy like that?

Was that Cell speaking to him again?

Before that idea could make him visibly show his shock, he finally registered that he was being kissed. He welcomed it, responding happily and enjoying the closeness that he had to Trunks like it was the last time. Neither of them cared if anyone was watching anymore. As they pulled back, Trunks took his hand into his and walked him over to everyone else, not letting him go, not phased by the stares they were receiving, namely from Vegeta.

He swore he heard Cell's voice right before he supposedly killed his boyfriend... again. Gohan felt something in him click; the power that Cell had infected him with seemed to have created some sort of hold over him. Cell had a pathway into his mind, making him think these things. Or that was the best assumption he could make.

 _No matter how much you think you can control me... you'll never make me hurt him, Cell._

Gohan then flashed back for the first time to when he was holding his hand over Nita. He laughed silently to himself; Cell was so taken over and lost thanks to this dark energy, and he was using Gohan to try and kill Nita for him - yet, through Gohan, he _still_ couldn't do it. There must be hope for him yet... if the android hadn't consumed more of it by now, that is.

Hell was empty when they got there, they had no idea where everybody was, unless they were preparing to escape. It was eerily quiet, all of the fighters looking around for any clue as to where everyone was.

 _Look at them... these so called friends of yours. Wouldn't it be such a relief not to have to think about them anymore?_

Gohan vaguely acknowledged Goku and Vegeta pointing in the direction of where the tear in the fabric of reality was. But he didn't need directions - he could feel the tear pulling him in, like the energy inside him was reacting to it's origin.

 _You don't need them anymore. They aren't any use to you. Not now you have all of this magnificent power that you can use._

He tried to ignore Cell's voice, it was speaking to him as if it were a part of him. He was taking over his thoughts and his way of thinking. He wanted to call out to any of his friends in front of him for help. Or more importantly - to tell them to run.

 _Don't give them a head start, Gohan. Just end them. You'll feel better for it._

Gohan's eyes flashed red once more, his ki suddenly twisted into something sinister, causing the fighters to sense it immediately. They all turned to him, their faces saying it all.

 _I need to make sure that you and your petty friends aren't around to stop me - so you're going to do it for me. Because you're mine._

He wasn't dreaming this time.

 **Sorry for the long wait! Life got in the way. There's only a few more chapters to go before this all finally come to a close. And knowing the way I like to turn everything on it's head, it all could go either way...**


	34. Under Your Skin

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **Sorry for the huge delay! I don't know where these last 4 months have gone ;_;**

 **Anyway, here it is!**

 **CHAPTER 34: UNDER YOUR SKIN**

"Gohan!"

He heard his father shouting his name, his heartbeat quickened at the sound of it, wanting to reach out, but the energy began to flow through his chest. It was dulling every emotion in him. He didn't feel remotely human anymore, or even saiyan. He was empty.

 _Kill them!_

"Shut up!" yelled Gohan, seemingly at nothing to everyone else around him. Cell was in his brain, he could feel him fishing around and trying to gain control over his actions. It was taking every ounce of strength to fight him off, but the android's dark energy began to take him over.

 _Give me control, Gohan. You don't have to feel anything anymore... just like you always wanted._

"Get out of my head!" he shouted again. Gohan gripped his head between his hands, pulling at his down hair. He even began shouting to try and fend it off. Suddenly, he collapsed.

"Gohan!"

He heard his father again, but when he regained his awareness, he wasn't in control anymore - and Goku was sent flying into the nearest mountain. They didn't realise what had happened until the mountain had collapsed, but Gohan slowly picked himself up back onto his feet, red eyes glowering at his friends. They were frightened, sensing nothing from him, it was as if he didn't exist even though he was standing right there... only Trunks had seen those eyes before, making his heart freeze as he was taken right back to when he and Gohan were attacked by Cell and Frieza.

"Gohan? Please tell me you're still in there!" shouted Krillin, cleverly deciding to stay a safe-ish distance away from Gohan instead of running over and shaking some sense back into him as he normally would have done.

Gohan seemed to be looking through them all, not acknowledging anything that was being said to him. In actuality, Cell was finding his way around Gohan's mind, finding the right strings to control his new puppet. Suddenly, Jeice found himself being locked onto.

Faster than the eye could see, Jeice was the second on the receiving end of this dark energy; a mere flick of his wrist knocked Jeice backwards, red electric shocks coming off him as he lay there twitching from the impact.

"Gohan stop this!" Krillin tried again, but he didn't listen. Instead, Gohan smirked evilly to himself before vanishing.

"Where did he go?" coughed Jeice as he sat up.

"What's happened to him?" asked Goku as he came back over. He was covered head to toe in scratches and bruises, which only worried them further; Gohan must have had a serious amount of strength to do that to Goku in just one hit. He was startled when Gohan went for him again, but he stopped himself instantly as he felt the urge, grabbing onto his head and shouting.

* * *

"Have you not got control of the brat yet?" snarled Frieza, pacing up and down the cave they were in. He glared over at Cell, who had his back to him; the android was levitating slightly, his legs crossed with his elbows on his knees and letting his hands fall lazily in front of him.

"Even after all this time... he's still fighting me," chuckled Cell.

"You'd have thought he would have given up by now. Maybe you didn't torture him enough... if that' even possible."

"Don't fight me... " said Cell quietly, closing his eyes and trying to talk to Gohan again. "Let me back in."

* * *

"Get out!" yelled Gohan, again at nothing, as his energy began to spiral out of control; powerful winds began to surge around him. He was still fighting back. And the situation looked all too familiar to Trunks.

* * *

 _-Flashback-_

 _Trunks was beginning to calm himself down, getting used to the warped ki of his mate, and the fact that Gohan was on his knees with his mouth around him, trying his best to tempt him. This was a side to Gohan that he felt really uncomfortable with, but the more he thought about it, the more he began to realise that this was just a part of him, a mirror image of the one he'd fallen in love with. They were the same person. Now this side was going to have to listen for once in his life._

 _"This would be so much better if we just... lie down... " said Gohan with sly smirk. He got up off his knees from his position between Trunks' legs, attempting to push him back onto the bed. But he was stopped when Trunks grabbed hold of his arms._

 _"I told you... " said Trunks. "Don't tell me what to do."_

 _"You don't want to play?"_

 _"No," said Trunks with a straight face. "I don't." He pushed Gohan away, fixing his pants and standing up again._

 _"Why not? Why won't you just loosen up?"_

 _"This isn't 'loosening up', this is just a game to you. And I don't play games," he said firmly, building his wall of defense up before Gohan's overwhelming scent began driving him mad. Gohan merely scoffed at him, turning to leave, but instead he stumbled, placing his hand on his forehead._

 _Switch_

 _"What is... "_

 _Trunks sensed a change in him, it wasn't his saiyan half in control anymore, but neither was it his human side. His ki began wavering oddly._

 _"Gohan?"_

 _"How did I get here?" he asked, looking around the room._

 _Switch_

 _Gohan shook his head, seemingly snapping himself out of it again. He set his eyes on Trunks for a second until it happened again._

 _Switch_

 _Gohan was suddenly launched backwards, hurtling across the room and into the door with a loud bang. He could just about make out that Trunks was trying to help him, but he curled up in a ball on the floor where he landed, clutching onto his head as his mental struggle begin to physically manifest itself... this was going to be a long night._

 _-End Flashback-_

* * *

As Trunks watched history repeat itself in front of him once more, Gohan collapsed onto his knees. The winds stopped and the air became so still that it was scary - and so was Gohan. A few seconds passed until anyone felt brave enough to approach him... but then his power exploded.

The fighters were blown away, propelled violently by the energy he was giving off.

* * *

"There he is... " said Cell triumphantly, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"It's about time," snarled Frieza. Then he paused for a minute, finally sensing the power radiating from Gohan, even from this far away. "Well... you weren't exaggerating."

"Give it time, he hasn't maintained this form for years. And to think all it took was one little push in the right direction. I should have tried this months ago... "

* * *

Gohan unsteadily rose onto his feet, not used to this form after neglecting to use it since the Cell Games. His long hair managed to stay tied but hung behind him rather than over his shoulder as it usually did. It was a brilliant gold, spiking in different directions. The other fighters stood cautiously around him from where they each landed after being swept away. As soon as he opened his eyes again, they knew they were done for.

"Run!" yelled Vegeta.

Sensing that Gohan wasn't in there anymore, they bolted, ran as far as they could for their lives so they could regroup - all but one, that is. Gohan seemed to notice Trunks' hesitation, looking over his shoulder to see his mate still standing there. Trunks squeezed his eyes shut after debating whether or not to stay, deciding to take off himself with his life, try to figure out a way to save him.

But Gohan's crimson eyes remained on him as he flew away.

* * *

"Oh no, you don't," chuckled Cell, seeing right through Gohan's eyes as if he was a part of him. He locked onto Trunks as he sped off. "I'm not wasting any more opportunities to get hold of that wretched saiyan."

Or rather, he was going to get Gohan to do it _for_ him, do exactly what he'd played out in Gohan's head the night before.

"What exactly are you going to do now that you have him under your control?" asked Frieza from the other side of the cave. "You're making us wait here until you'd infected him with the energy, now what?"

"Now, I kill them. Starting with that lover of his... "

"Going straight for the person Gohan betrayed you for?" Frieza laughed. "Oh my, he's really got under your skin, hasn't he?"

* * *

Gohan found himself alone, wandering through the rocky landscape of Hell with incredible speed, sensing everyone, even people close by such as Jeice and Goku. But he had his mind set on finding Trunks, who wasn't too far away now. Even though Trunks had now suppressed his ki, the energy flowing through Gohan made him feel his very presence, just like he could feel the presence of everyone in existence. If Cell wasn't controlling him, the fact that he could feel every living thing would have driven him mad by now. With Cell being disconnected from the world, and having experience with this dark energy, he could focus Gohan's perceptions on one person at a time.

* * *

"What are you talking about?" scoffed Cell, simultaneously controlling Gohan.

"We could have taken half the cosmos by now, but we're waiting here so you can take him over, and for what? So you can bring him with us?"

"What are you getting at, exactly?"

"Why is this so important to you?"

"Because he belongs to me," said the android angrily. He didn't like having to explain himself when, in all honesty, he didn't know why.

* * *

He could smell his fear.

Gohan got to a cave, his friends were scattered all around as he closed in on his prize. There was nobody around to save Trunks in time.

"Come out, love," he said coolly, purple electricity crackling around him. "There's nowhere for you to run." Gohan wasn't even hiding the fact that he was going to hurt him, rather than coaxing him out by pretending that he was himself again, he relished in the hunt; the fear was intoxicating.

He felt Trunks' ki shoot up at the last second. Despite Trunks' incredible speed, Gohan's new found precision proved to be superior with Cell controlling his every move and thought. He disappeared, the next thing visible to the naked eye being Trunks as he came crashing to the ground. Trunks needed a minute to regain his senses after that blow to his side, but then he remembered that he was supposed to be running.

 _Why_ am _I running?_ He felt stupid. He was trying to escape from the person he loved most, it seemed bizarre. He wanted to try and talk some sense into him, even though a large part of him knew it was futile. But first, he needed to find the others. After finding his bearings again, he got onto his feet, not seeing Gohan anywhere. He ran for it, only to be caught instantly; an arm was putting pressure on his throat.

"Where do you think you're going?" hissed Gohan from behind him. Before Trunks could answer, Gohan took off his own belt and wrapped it around Trunks' neck...

* * *

"For someone so intelligent, you are so blind... " said Frieza. "I suppose it takes someone on the outside looking in to even being to notice what's going on."

"There's nothing going on that I don't know about."

"You might not see it, but I do. You've become attached to him."

"Attached?"

"It may be because of Nita - "

" _Don't_ you say that name to me!" shouted Cell, still trying to concentrate.

"She's unlocked feelings in you that you never knew you had. And it's the same with Gohan. You can't let him go... you have feelings for him after all, don't you?"

* * *

Gohan pulled on the belt, increasing his grip on Trunks' neck; he laughed as if it was all a game. Trunks finally collapsed to his knees trying to pry it off, but the amount of force Gohan was using made the fabric begin to cut through his skin.

"Beg for your life!" he shouted, tugging harder. Trunks tried to get him to stop but his vocal chords were crushed, all he could get out were chokes. "If I'd have known that it'd be this easy I would have given you a ten second head start... "

Trunks lost his grip on the belt, darkness began creeping into the corners of his vision.

* * *

"I don't have feelings for anything," growled Cell, though the more he denied it, the more he began to realise his tethers to the world. He was supposed to be disconnected from everything. He felt anxiety in the pit of his stomach... he believed that this made him weak.

"So just kill him and let's leave this stupid place!" ordered Frieza.

"Don't tell me what to do, brat!"

Cell squeezed his eyes shut again as his anxieties cause his control over Gohan to waver slightly; he still had a tight hold of Trunks, who was still fighting to stay conscious despite everything he was throwing at him. Needless to say, he was thoroughly enjoying watching those nightmares he put in Gohan's head being played out in real life.

"Weakling!"

The android's crimson eyes shot open with anger; he extended his arm out behind, pointing at Frieza.

"What are you - " Frieza's voice was cut off as he began to glow purple. "Let go of me, android!" He felt his power draining from him fast - and felt Cell's climbing higher. Cell smirked as he watched Frieza shrink back down to normal, stealing what he stole from the tear in reality and taking it from himself.

"Now who's the weak one?" said Cell evilly. Frieza collapsed onto all fours, stripped of his power and back to his fourth form.

"What did you do to me?!"

"All of the power belongs to me," he answered. "Now get out before I change my mind about ending you right now!"

Frieza's cowardice resurfaced once more as he scarpered out of the cave, leaving Cell alone, more powerful than ever. He went back into Gohan's head, Trunks was barely holding on now, he was about to get Gohan to deliver the final blow until something unexpected happened...

* * *

Gohan's head hurt badly as he woke up; as his vision began to clear he realised that he was in a cave, staring at it's ceiling. He felt nauseated, he couldn't remember how he got there; he looked to his right and saw Trunks lying on his side, facing away from him.

"Trunks?" Gohan automatically sat up, ignoring the sudden vertigo, to check on him.

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion when he saw something tied around his neck. As he unwound it, he realised that his shirt was open - that was _his_ belt. Suddenly, the memories came flooding back to him... he wasn't dreaming this time.

"No, please no!" he cursed to himself. Gohan carefully rolled Trunks over onto his back in case his neck was broken. He was convinced he was dead until he suddenly took a sharp inhale. "Trunks! You're okay!"

He coughed for a few seconds, clearing his throat of blood. Gohan helped him sit up, not taking his eyes off him for a second. He felt unbelievable guilt; Trunks' neck was bright red and purple with bruising, he also noticed a few cuts where his belt had sliced his skin.

"That's some major grip you've got there," joked Trunks between coughs. Gohan yanked him into a tight embrace, the relief washing over him when he realised that the bad dreams were over.

"I'm so sorry!" sobbed Gohan, pulling back to kiss him.

"It wasn't you, don't worry. It's over," he said, relieved. His voice was cracking thanks to the pressure, but he was beginning to breathe easier. "How did you break free?"

"Break free?"

"Something was controlling you."

"It was Cell," he said instantly, knowing all to well. "I can't remember how I blacked out. I couldn't have broke free... something must have - "

"Gohan!" yelled Jeice as he ran into the cave with Krillin. Sensing that Gohan was himself again, they ran over to them. "What happened? Are you guys okay?"

"Something's wrong," said Gohan.

* * *

They got to another cave a few miles out, closer to the tear in reality. The fighters were all together again after regrouping, though Vegeta didn't take kindly to the state of Trunks' neck. Once they got through the entrance, Gohan found what he was looking for.

"I need you to wait here," he said calmly.

"No way!"

"Jeice, just do as he says," said Trunks, holding him back. Gohan smiled at his mate, grateful that he still trusted him after everything that had been thrown at them.

Gohan headed deeper into the cave until his friends were out of sight, and he was met with a rather disheveled Cell. The android knew he was coming, but didn't really move from where he was standing, simply turning around to face him. Gohan readied himself to be met with his veined face and those sinister red eyes, but was surprised when Cell actually looked completely normal.

"So... is this the part where you finally finish what you started?" asked the android. His voice was deflated, as if he'd given up.

"What?" Gohan was confused, he will still naturally ready to fight, his body was tense and waiting for Cell to fly at him.

"You don't want revenge?"

"Where's revenge ever gotten either of us?" reasoned Gohan. It was revenge that got them into this mess in the first place. He was about to ask him if he was okay, until he suddenly convinced himself that he didn't care.

"Noble of you."

"No it's not. If I took revenge right now, it would just make me as bad as you."

"You've stooped to my level many times in the past... "

"And I've learned my lesson," said Gohan calmly.

"So you have."

Something wasn't right; why wasn't Cell tearing him limb from limb? Why wasn't Gohan doing the same to him? Everything felt odd.

"What happened?" he asked after a long pause.

"Hm?"

"I didn't fight you off back there, I couldn't have."

"No you didn't," said Cell, looking away from him.

"So where is it? Why do you look normal again?"

"Frieza warned me about this happening, it's only a matter of time," sighed Cell. He really had given up.

"Why can't I sense you?" Gohan tried to get a reading off him, but in the time it took for them to find Cell, his ki was disappearing.

"I made yet another fatal mistake. I took too much of the energy, and now it's got inside me."

"What do you mean?"

"You need to have enough mental stability to withstand the power of reality itself surging through you. I'm surprised it didn't get to you, you're the most mentally broken person I know."

"Maybe I was," said Gohan. "Maybe it's just made me even stronger."

"I lost control of it, I let my barriers down, and now it's inside my head."

"How did you lose control?"

Cell opened his mouth to answer but couldn't actually say it; he lost control because he finally admitted his feelings.

"I don't seem to be as detached from the world as I thought," he said, talking around it instead. Gohan's eyes widened.

"You love her," he said hesitantly, remembering that the last time he said that to him, he got a broken wrist in response. Cell didn't answer, but he didn't deny it either, neither did he dare admit his possible attachment to Gohan. "What are we going to do?"

"There's not much we _can_ do," sighed Cell, his recently discovered stoicism still proving to be effective. "Reality is going to collapse again any time now, and as for me... " He paused, feeling the energy in his head begin to pick him apart piece by piece.

"Is there still some of it in me too?"

"No." Gohan felt relieved at that at least.

"You can still help us fix this, Cell," said Gohan suddenly, not knowing why. "While you're still here, while you know more about this energy than any of us do."

"Just leave me," he ordered, a little more aggressively.

"Please," he said softly. "If you really love Nita then help her!" The android suddenly started looking at him funny, as if he was thinking hard. "What?"

"I can't remember your name... " he said quietly. Cell stared at him, concentrating, determined to remember, but his mind was going blank.

"It's Gohan... "

"Right," he answered. Frieza was right, the power really did get into his head; and the amount he took from Frieza in his anger finally pushed him over the edge - he was losing his memories.

"Cell... what year is it?"

"I don't know." The android was becoming agitated, and that in turn only made things worse. He growled, punching a nearby wall in annoyance.

"What's my name?"

"... I don't remember."

Cell was getting angry with himself for being so stupid; he was given a second chance after everything he went through with the antranide, and this is what he did with it. He was losing his mind slowly.

"You'd better fucking remember!" said Gohan aggressively. "Can you remember everything that you did to me?!"

"Yes," said Cell. He could recall everything he did to Gohan, just not his name for some reason. Gohan narrowed his eyes before Cell came out of his anxiety for a few seconds. "What do you want, an apology?" he sneered.

Gohan almost laughed.

"No, I don't," he replied. He didn't want an apology at all, he wanted to forget. He also knew that he wouldn't get a heart felt apology from the likes of him anyway. "What's your daughter's name?"

"Nita," he said instantly.

"Good, you remember the important stuff. Do you know how to close this portal?"

"No... "

"Great... " sighed Gohan. He paced slowly around the cave a little as the android's mind began slipping further.


	35. I Don't Hate You

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 35: I DON'T HATE YOU**

Cell was wondering why it was so hard to mentally put Gohan's name to his face. The more he did it, the weirder it sounded. Then he noticed Gohan still staring at him.

"What?!" he snarled angrily. "I'm of no more use to you. You want me out of your life, don't you?"

"Cell... "

"Go," he said, more calmly this time. Gohan didn't move; Cell didn't like the look Gohan was giving him, it almost looked like pity. "Get out!" The android suddenly shoved him backwards by his shoulders.

"I'm not leaving you like this!" Gohan wondered why he even cared.

"Don't you have a universe to go and save?"

"I do, but believe it or not, we need you!"

"Need _me_?" laughed Cell.

"How do we close it?" asked Gohan firmly. Cell wasn't looking at him anymore, rolling his eyes. "Cell!"

"Return any energy stolen from it and it should close... theoretically. That means you need to get your hands on Frieza... hm, there's a hint of irony in that sentence after everything that's happened."

"And once we have Frieza?" he pressed further, trying to ignore the android's snide comment.

"There's no way to extract the energy from him without corrupting yourself," explained Cell, gesturing his own situation. "In theory, you could just throw him in there and see what happens."

"You really think that'll work?"

"Like I said... it's a theory. But it's either that or nothing."

"So we get Frieza in there _somehow_... then reality supposedly goes back to normal?"

"No," sighed Cell. "Then I go in."

"What?" Gohan's eyes widened.

"Some of that energy is still inside me too in case you haven't been paying attention." The android pointed at his head as he managed to look at Gohan again; he couldn't take the expression on his face... Gohan actually felt sorry for him. "You may not be able to see it or feel it anymore, but it's deep in here, picking at my memories."

"But... what will happen to you?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "But I'm past caring... there's no place for me in this universe."

"There must be another way... " said Gohan softly. Cell couldn't stand it; the android had spent months trying to get Gohan to fear him, but seeing him offer kindness towards him just made him angry.

"Well there isn't," he said more harshly. "So once you get us in there and fix everything, you can carry on living your pathetic little life."

"Okay, fine. Throw yourself in there and do us all a favour... " Gohan turned away from him for a second, but turned back again. "You're seriously giving up on yourself?"

"I'd have thought that you of all people would know a lost cause when you saw one."

"Wow... " Gohan didn't mean to start laughing. "After all of the shit you've laid on me, you're the one who comes out of it suicidal."

"I was wondering how long that sickeningly kind act would last for," sneered Cell.

"What? " Gohan looked visibly hurt, but he didn't know why he expected anything less.

"Please, I've seen the monster that you really are."

"Why are you still trying to hurt me? You don't even remember my name and you want to tear me apart!"

"Why are _you_ still trying to _save_ me?" continued the android. "I've done everything bad to you that anyone could possibly do and you're still standing here, mocking me!" Cell pushed him backwards again.

"Stop it!"

"Does 'what's his name' know that you're down here, trying to _save_ me? Hm?" Cell shoved him again, approaching him aggressively.

"Cell -" Gohan couldn't seem to formulate a single sentence, growing more frightened and Cell backed him into a wall.

"You know, maybe after I was finished using you up that day, I should have done what I was initially going to do and fucked him too... that would have given you both something else in common."

"Stop trying to hurt me!"

"Oh what? Are my words not hurting you anymore?" mocked Cell. The android grabbed hold of his chin and made him look at him. "I know what hurts you... " Gohan panicked as Cell began tearing at his clothes.

"No! Get off me!"

"You still want to save me?" he laughed. Gohan struggled against him, avoiding his forceful kisses and trying to pry wandering hands off him.

"Get off!"

Gohan smacked him hard in the face - but wasn't expecting it to send him to the ground. He couldn't believe it... he stopped him. He watched as Cell slowly got back onto his feet, wanting to scream at him, wanting to repay every single punch, kick and hurtful word he'd ever given to him, but that wasn't what came out of his mouth.

"Trunks."

"What?" mumbled Cell, wiping his bloody lip clean.

"You forgot his name."

"No, I - "

"What's my dad's name?"

"I don't know."

Gohan had never seen Cell look so scared, not even at the Cell Games.

"What do you start forgetting after names?"

"My ability to fight, it seems. Lucky punch."

"We need to go, Cell. Before it's too late."

"Not one word about what I just did to you?" remarked the android. "You really are pathetic."

"It's called being a decent person."

"Whatever... "

"Hate me all you want. But I need to go."

* * *

"Where are the others?" asked Gohan as he came running back out to Trunks, Krillin and Jeice.

"Outside," said Jeice. "What's going on?"

"Can you go and find them? I think we have a shot at ending this," replied Gohan optimistically.

"Did you find him?" Trunks asked that just to find out if Gohan was okay.

"Yeah, he's still there, I _think_ I've got an idea."

"You _think?_ "

"He lost his control over me because he took Frieza's energy and it overdosed him. He's losing his memories. We don't have a lot of time."

Vegeta and Goku led the rest of the fighters into the cave. After what happened to Gohan, the separate teams all came back together. Piccolo, Yamcha and Tien came in first, followed by the Ginyu Force and Cooler and Salza.

"Gohan, what were you doing?! Being alone with him like that after what he did?" said Goku harshly. Gohan knew that his father was simply worried about him. He could feel his energy wavering oddly, as if he was about to transform and blast his way into the cave to destroy his tormentor once and for all.

"Dad, it's okay. He's not a threat anymore," said Gohan. He was confused in himself as he said it. He was relieved for the most part, but part of him was also sad. "He's dying."

"Again?" cried Burter. "What happened?"

"He's absorbed too much of reality's energy. It's destroying him from the inside out," explained Trunks.

"I've got a plan," said Gohan. "Or part of a plan."

"Part of a plan is better than nothing," said Piccolo.

"Cell told me that to close the tear, we need to return the energy stolen from it."

"Sounds simple enough," said Cooler.

"Yeah it does. But to do that, we need to get Frieza into the tear. And he's probably shot up on more energy to replace what Cell stole from him, which also means that we have even less time before it's too late to reverse it."

"Where does Cell come into all this?" asked Vegeta.

"He needs to go in there too. But he's weak. Frieza is the main problem, so we tackle him first. It's going to take all of us to bring him down."

* * *

They got to the tear in reality quickly, but as they closed in they could see a figure standing below it. He was glowing purple, electricity crackling around him in all directions for miles. Some of the fighters barely dodged some of the bolts.

It was Frieza, and he was more powerful than ever.

"Whatever you do, don't let him corrupt you! Or else you're going to have to throw yourself in there too!" said Cooler before blasting ahead.

"Nothing like a pep talk before a fight to the death, ey kid," said Jeice to Gohan. Gohan simply tried to smile back as he transformed. Goku, Vegeta and Trunks each did the same as they got closer.

As they landed a few meters from Frieza, the tyrant turned to face them looking more grotesque than ever. He was bulky, almost blue with the blotches on his stretched skin; his veins were protruding and visible and his eyes glowed red.

"Don't even try it," he laughed. "There's nothing you can do to stop this!"

All of them pounced at once.

* * *

Cell remembered their faces but couldn't put names to them. He was fading fast. He thought back to when he was hooked on the antranide, how it destroyed a large portion of his brain slowly. This was proving to be working faster, but he didn't know which was worse - the seizures or the memory loss.

He remembered Nita. That was the name that stuck with him more than most.

He'd even forgotten Goku's name, and that was hardwired into him for almost twenty years as he was growing and developing in Doctor Gero's laboratory.

It wasn't only people he was forgetting as time went. He was losing track of the hours he remained sat in that cave, sensing the battle from afar. Guldo fell first, then Recoome, then Jeice, then Burter. Luckily they were already dead. Yamcha and Tien were unconscious. The rest continued to fight valiantly against Frieza, whose power was still high, but was also unstable.

Frieza was heading for the same fate as the android's. He too would soon begin losing his mind, going against his very own warnings. He acknowledged that Frieza's rapid deterioration would work in the universe's favour - if he didn't kill them all first.

He was tempted to go over and help all of those nameless faces, if only he could remember his attacks. Or even how to fight for that matter. Everything was slipping away as the energy inside him began to pick up the pace, stripping his mind away piece by piece until he suddenly felt a powerful urge.

He wanted to see Nita. It felt like he'd only just met her again. He felt something for her, even with all of the blank spaces in his brain. He didn't resent her anymore, but he couldn't describe what he was feeling as love either, he was incapable of it, or so he thought. The android simply described what he was feeling as a deep, primal instinct. He once thought he was also incapable of that too.

Cell stood up quickly. He needed to see his daughter now while he still remembered her, but as soon as he raised his hand to his head, he paused. He forgot how to teleport.

He let out a loud growl, shouting as he recklessly punched a hole into the cave wall. He felt no pain as he drew his bloody hand back out of the jagged rocks. The energy had just wiped out his pain receptors, it seemed. But he still remembered how to fly at least. That instinct burned in his chest once more. No longer driven by anything else, he exited the cave swiftly and took off towards the battle before he lost the ability to do so.

If he wanted to protect his daughter, there was only one way to ensure that she would be safe.

* * *

Gohan landed with a thud on the ground, yet managed to roll onto his front and push himself back up again. They were so close!

The remaining fighters had just been blasted away as a result of a beam struggle. All of them shooting at him at once, and even though their attacks seemed to effortlessly bounce off Frieza's body, it pushed him backwards gradually until he was nearly sucked into the tear.

"I know what you're trying to do!" he taunted before laughing maniacally. "It won't work! You can't defeat me!"

Frieza kept up his confident demeanour, but he had to admit, that was too close for comfort. He knew that they were trying to close the hole by throwing him in it. Only he and Cell were still corrupted by it. _Unless..._

None of them saw him coming he was so fast.

"No!" cried Gohan as he rushed towards Trunks, but it was too late; Frieza grabbed hold of his arm, quickly infecting him with his dark energy before anyone could get to them in time.

Trunks felt unsteady as he was released. His blue eyes flashed red as he fell to his knees, unable to channel the energy properly. Frieza cackled loudly once more, looking directly at Gohan.

"You want to close the hole? Then he has to die too," he said smugly. "And if you don't, he'll die slowly anyway. The energy I gave him is more than enough to kill him eventually. And there's nothing you or him can do about it!"

Gohan snapped, reaching super saiyan 2 on his own for the first time in five years. Frieza was sent flying by the first punch, not expecting it at all. He couldn't believe he was being overpowered. But Gohan used his superior senses to know when to hit him - Frieza was slipping. His energy was unstable and dropped every few seconds. And that was the time to hit him.

"Why you little... you'll all die! Right now! You hear me!"

"Now!" yelled Goku. The fighters all stood once more, hitting Frieza all at once with everything they had. Frieza was being knocked back further every few seconds as he deteriorated. There was a brilliant, blinding white light as he was swallowed into the tear, screaming bloody murder until his last breath. The tear was smaller than it was before as the dust cleared.

"It's not enough," said Cooler. "It's still open." Everyone looked over at Trunks, who was still on his hands and knees surrounded by a dark, crackling aura.

"Trunks, no!" Vegeta was about to fly over to him until he was stopped in his tracks by something unexpected.

Cell landed next to Trunks, holding onto the last pieces of his mind, still holding onto the strong urge in him to protect the child he'd since forgotten the name of. Trunks didn't look at him, trapped within nothingness until a cold hand took hold of his own.

The rest of the fighters watched and couldn't believe what they were seeing; Gohan never thought he'd see the day when Cell _helped_ someone. The android was absorbing the energy from Trunks. It took a while since Frieza dosed him up so much, but when he finished, Trunks dropped to the floor. Gohan ran over to him, as did Vegeta and Goku.

"Trunks? Trunks, are you okay?" asked Gohan desperately as he held his unconscious mate. Trunks stirred a little, lazily opening his eyes.

"What happened?" he groaned. Gohan couldn't contain himself. He leaned down and kissed him passionately, he didn't care who was staring. Trunks laughed as he pulled back. "I take it we won?" Gohan laughed back as he and Vegeta helped him up onto his feet. Then they came out of their happiness after they realised that Cell had just received a massive power boost. They all put their guards up ready to fight him, until they realised that he wasn't even looking at them.

Cell stared at the tear in the sky, feeling it pull at the energy inside him; even the dark aura around him seemed to be pointing in the tear's direction. The power up he received didn't improve his condition, it sped it up. The instincts he had for Nita still burned in his chest, but he couldn't remember her name or what she looked like anymore.

"Thank you."

The android turned to look at Gohan. He said nothing back, he had no expression.

"Cell... "

"I know," he answered.

"I'm sorry," said Gohan quietly. Part of him didn't want Cell to do it, but it wasn't about them anymore.

"Gohan... "

"Yeah?"

"I don't hate you," he said, silently enough so that only Gohan could hear him.

Gohan felt his heart stop, he didn't know what to say back, but he didn't get the chance. Cell took off abruptly with the last of his mental capability; he had to do this himself. It seemed to happen in slow motion, Cell disappeared into the tear and everything lit up.

Then everything went black.

* * *

"Gohan?"

The saiyan groaned. He opened his eyes only to be blinded by daylight. It took his a while to recognise his mother's voice.

"Mom?"

He sat up slowly, realising that he was own the Capsule Corp front lawn. Goku was next to him, also just regaining his senses.

"There was a flash and then you all fell out of the sky. I've never seen anything like it!"

"We did it, you guys!" cheered Krillin.

"Hey, where are the Ginyu's? And Cooler?" asked Tien.

"I guess everyone's gone back to where they were supposed to be," said Vegeta.

"But that means that Jeice is gone too," said Gohan grievously. Suddenly his victory felt pointless at the loss of his best friend.

"You guys! Cell's here!" yelled Yamcha. They all looked in his direction.

Cell was lying on the floor motionless. Gohan was the only one who moved. He checked for a pulse.

"He's dead," he said. "But why is he here? He should be in the otherworld." Gohan tried not to look phased by the android's apparent death, but he couldn't help but feel lost. First Jeice, now Cell. And then he realised something else. "Where's Trunks?"

"Oh, fuck!" cursed Vegeta. Gohan's heart sped up. "Trunks got to this timeline through a wormhole. He must have been sent back to where he originally came from like everyone else!" Gohan felt dizzy, this was too much.

"But the time machine - " said Yamcha.

" - is in a capsule in his jacket... " said Krillin as he walked over to the front door. "Which is here." He picked it up, taking the capsule out of the pocket. "He's stranded."

Gohan's entire body went numb. He wanted to cry, but his heart dropped to his stomach and he promptly passed out.

 **Next chapter will most likely be a Gohan POV. Sorry it's took so long for me to write this! It's been a busy few months and I had a bit of a block!**


	36. Never Leave Me

**A NECESSARY EVIL**

 **CHAPTER 36: NEVER LEAVE ME**

This isn't real. Nothing feels real. We saved reality itself and restored everything back to the way it was. We saved billions of lives. But I feel numb. At the same time I feel stupid for feeling like this; how do I grieve for someone who isn't dead? If he's even still alive, that is. I don't know for sure. Being thrown back into our own worlds knocked us all out cold, how do I know whether he landed harder than we did? What if being blasted through timelines killed him? He's all alone in his world, his mother is out travelling in space. There would be nobody there to find him.

I know I shouldn't let my mind wander like this; that's how the downward spiral starts. Overthinking, then blaming myself, then punishing myself because I've convinced myself that it's all my fault. I'm getting that itch in my wrists again, but I'm trying to ignore it. I'm past this. Right?

It's been about twelve hours since the battle, everyone's got past the celebration stage and gone to their rooms to rest, so it seems. As soon as I found out that Trunks was gone, I blacked out. I ended up in our bedroom and I've been lying here on the bed ever since. I haven't even been to see Nita, the whole reason I helped save the world in the first place. Now I feel terrible that I haven't seen her, but I just can't face getting up. It's like my body is made of lead.

"Gohan?"

There was a knock on the door. It sounded like Krillin. I wished it was Trunks. Then I even wished it was Jeice. God, I miss Jeice...

"Come in." That was about all I could force out as I used the rest of my energy to sit up.

"Hey," he said as he came in. He sat down next to me. I didn't say anything. I didn't know what I wanted to say anyway. I think Krillin new that, so he just started talking anyway.

"Your dad spoke to King Kai. Everyone is back where they should be and the wormholes are gone."

"Right," I mumbled. I wasn't really taking much in.

"Jeice is okay."

"He is?" At last, some good news.

"Yeah. King Kai said they were pretty beat up after the fight, but they're all fine. Jeice was asking about you."

I felt relieved for a few seconds, but that did nothing to fill the huge hole in my chest.

"How are you doing?" he asked carefully. He knew it was is was futile question, but I guess he would have felt worse if he didn't ask it.

"I don't know... " I really don't. I wanted to be alone, and I think he got the message even though I didn't let any emotion show in my face. He closed the door behind him quietly and I curled up again in my bed... _our_ bed.

I don't think I slept at all, I can't remember. The night passed too quickly for me to have not slept through some of it, but I was in such a daze that I couldn't say for sure. The world began coming back to me a little more as I watched the sun come up through the window. But the more I came back to earth, the more grief I felt. Why is everything so dark? I should be happy that my daughter finally has a peaceful world to grow up in, instead of the horror she was born into.

Maybe I should see her... maybe I'll feel better. Twenty minutes passed and I was still trying to convince myself to stand up. I can't move. There was another knock on the door.

"Gohan?"

It was my dad this time. I didn't say anything, I couldn't even lift my head up to acknowledge him as he let himself in.

"Everyone's heading to breakfast."

I wanted to tell him I wasn't hungry but my mouth didn't move.

"Son, you need to eat something."

"Where's Nita?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"With your mother," he said softly. "She misses you."

"I miss her too."

I felt horrible... and selfish. But I can't move. Why won't my body fucking move?!

Eventually, my dad convinced me to get some food. I managed a small bowl of cereal at least, remembering what happened the last time I stopped eating - I threw it all back up after not having anything for about five days straight. I headed out of the room and went for a walk, passing the lab. But then I heard voices coming from it.

"So what do we do with him?" It was Piccolo. My curiosity was peaked at least, so I just stood there and listened.

"I don't know... " That was my dad. What the hell is going on?

"Do we just... keep him?"

"I say we just destroy him!" Vegeta hasn't changed much in the past ten years if I'm honest. But at least he isn't killing us anymore.

"How do we know if that's the right thing to do? King Kai said - "

It was pretty stupid walking in at that point, I wish I'd just stayed outside and eavesdropped a little longer. They all stopped talking and looked at me; I hated the look on their faces. They were hiding something from me, and it was hidden behind a curtain which they were all standing in front of.

"Kind Kai said what?"

"Gohan, you don't need to deal with this..."

"Deal with what?" If somebody doesn't tell me what they were talking about I'm literally going to explode. Nobody said anything so I pushed past them. Cell was lying on a bed behind the curtain. He wasn't moving. He looked the same as he did after we came back to earth. "What is he doing here?" I asked through my teeth. The longer I kept my eyes on him the angrier I got. I couldn't pinpoint what exactly I was getting angry at.

"He's dead, Gohan," said Piccolo, firmly enough to make an impression on me.

"I know he is... but why is he _here_?" I couldn't take my eyes off Cell's face. He looked peaceful, but he didn't deserve it - why does _he_ get to be at peace and I don't?!

"King Kai said that he's supposed to be here. He's a fixed point in time." My dad came closer to me, but didn't dare touch me. "Frieza's the same way but he's being kept in Hell since he was already dead when he went into the tear. Because Cell was alive when he went in, he ended up here."

"So he just... exists?"

"Pretty much. He won't decompose, we can't destroy him and he won't ever wake up. He's just... there."

I should have known it was too good to be true. Why did you have to do throw yourself in there like that? And after saving my boyfriend's life. You're never going to go away, you'll always be in this world haunting me. Why can't you just go away?

I need a fucking drink...

* * *

It was safe to say that my bad habits were still just under the surface. I found some liquor in the kitchen. I'm surprise that there was still any left after we got wasted the other night. A part of me wondered if there was any drugs lying around but squashed that thought as soon as it popped into my head. I'm not an addict... not anymore at least.

I don't know why I drink this stuff straight, it burned all the way down like I usually does. I was in my room again, it was almost time for dinner. I still haven't seen Nita, but for some reason, forgetting felt like the better option. Why can't I shake this?

Yet another fucking knock on the door.

"Gohan! Dinner!"

My dad again.

I automatically stood up, determined not to starve myself at least, then I stumbled a little. I'm drunk... whoops. Maybe liquor on an empty stomach was a bad idea.

* * *

The food wasn't helping me, I wish I'd just brought the bottle with me somehow, I just left it under my bed.

"Gohan, are you okay?" My mom sat next to me.

"I'm fine." I want to die. Why did I just think that?

"No you're not."

"How insightful of you," I said without even thinking first. My mother did take to my attitude very well.

" _Gohan,_ " she scolded quietly enough so she didn't draw any attention to us. I wanted to say sorry but it didn't come out of my mouth.

"Where's Nita?"

"She's asleep. I was going to ask why you haven't been to see her."

"I don't know." I wasn't looking at her, but I could tell she was worried. Even _I_ was worried. I didn't sound like myself, I sounded so deflated.

"Maybe seeing her will make you feel better."

"What if it doesn't?"

My dad came over at that point, my face must have been a good enough reason for him to be concerned.

"Your father and I have been talking and we think it'll be good for us to get out of here soon," she said.

"We want to go home," said dad. I almost made an unforgivable remark but managed to hold it back at the last second. Dad wants to go home? That's a first...

"We can't." I can't go back there. Not ever.

"Sure we can."

"We can't!" People were starting to look at us now, I couldn't seem to control my panic over the idea of going back to that house.

"Why? What are you scared of?"

"What am I _scared_ of?!" I yelled. Now everyone was staring, but I didn't care. "Do you have any idea what I went through in that house?" My parents stayed silent, and so did everyone else.

"We can start again. I know the past few years have been hard, but - "

"It's not just that... " I need to stop talking right now, I don't want everyone to know, but I can't seem to stop. It's like a dam finally broke in my chest. "I lived there for six months with _him_!" I can't even say his name anymore. "It's not even a home anymore, it's a prison. I don't want to live there anymore, and frankly neither should you or my brothers."

Everyone was still silent, waiting for me to continue.

"I don't want kids living in a place like that. I don't want my child there and neither should you."

"We can't just leave it!" My mom was still fighting me, part of me understood that she wanted her quiet little house in the mountains back. It's all she knew. "What if we renovate it?"

"You can clean my blood off the floors all you want but it doesn't make what happened go away!" She shuddered a little when I said that. But it was true, the amount of blood spilled was more than enough to fill another me.

"Blood?!"

"Yeah, and that's not all you'll be cleaning up either." Why the _fuck_ did I just say that?

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind... "

"Gohan!" I could tell she was worried, I just blurted it out.

"Me and him... it didn't just happen in _my_ bed."

I said it as quietly as I could, but I could already see the others avoiding eye contact with me. My mom shuddered again. I never wanted her to hear anything about my relationship, it would only hurt her.

"I never want to see that house again." I finished that conversation off as quickly as I could, standing up to leave the room. My parents, Piccolo and Krillin followed me into the kitchen.

"Stop running away, Gohan." He looked right at me as he said it, straight face, eyes narrowed.

"I'm not ready to face it, I never will be!"

"Is this about what he did to you... you know... in the gravity chamber?" asked my mom. A wry laugh came out me suddenly.

"You honestly think that was the first time he did that to me?!" She looked shocked, as did everyone else apart from Krillin, who obviously knew. I was beginning to be surprised at how loose my tongue was under the influence. "The first time was last May. We were in a random house in a village near our house. When I wouldn't give him what he wanted he pushed me onto the living room floor and took it anyway."

Nobody said anything, so I carried on. Why not? I was on a roll.

"The second time was in August. I got taken to Doctor Gero's lab because being pregnant was making me sick. He forced himself on me in the lab while I was barely conscious."

"I had no idea... " My dad looked devastated. My mom did too, but I could tell that it was taking all of her strength to not change the subject and run away from it. Yes, I was raped. Three times. They have to deal with that. But I can live with it, it's not the worst thing that's happened by far. Tears sprang to my eyes and I got angrier.

"Well at least I wasn't to blame, those times it was just him being an evil son of a bitch." I didn't care that I was swearing in front of everyone, I doubt they did either at that point. "When we were in our house, every time we were together it was all initiated by me. And that's worse. I _chose_ that."

"So you made some bad choices, it doesn't make you a bad person," said Piccolo. He's right, but it all depends on what the bad choices were.

"Doesn't it?" I asked. I really didn't know anymore. Was I a bad person or just human? My mom seemed to be looking at me funny, squinting her eyes.

"Have you been drinking?" she asked, hands on her hips like she was scolding me. I rolled my eyes, not bothering to lie. "Gohan?"

" _What_?"

"You're drunk!"

I didn't say anything back to defend myself. I was pretty drunk, but it was starting to wear off and the grief was coming back again.

"Yes, okay! I'm drunk!" I raised my voice a little, wanting everyone to leave me alone.

"Gohan, I know you're upset but drowning your sorrows isn't going to make things better!"

"I'm not upset, I'm angry!"

"Because of what Cell did to you?"

"No!" I wasn't communicating my feelings well, but I just wanted them to understand me for once. "I'm done being angry with him. I'm angry at Trunks!"

"Why on earth are you angry with Trunks?!"

"Because he promised he'd never leave me!"

"Gohan... "

"I know how stupid that sounds, but I believed him. But nothing lasts forever does it? Not really."

"Won't you even consider letting the dragon restore the house?" asked my dad after a long silence. "It'll be another nine months before we can use the dragon balls again but I'm sure Bulma will let us stay here in the mean time." I scoffed at him.

"Yeah, if there are any wishes left over."

"What do you mean? We can restore the mess and wish everyone back that was killed by Frieza's men - "

"Are the people _I_ killed included?" My mother's eyes widened. "That's right! I'm a drunk _and_ a murderer!"

"Gohan, go to your room... " I just laughed at her in my drunken stupor and did as I was told for once.

* * *

I slammed the door shut behind me, not caring who might have heard it; then there was yet another knock. I just wanted to be left alone, letting my frustrations out with a growl as I paced around in a circle. The door opened regardless of how much I didn't want it to.

"Sit down, Gohan," said Bulma.

I did, sitting on the edge of the bed where she joined me. I was waiting for the sympathy speech, where they give me that look that says that you're damaged goods, way beyond saving - nothing but a victim. Funny, I didn't feel like a victim at all, I felt like the abuser.

"You need to see your daughter."

"I know I do," I answered instantly. "I just... can't. Why can't I shake this?!" I clenched my fists, noticing that she wasn't daring to touch me. I knew it was because she was scared I might do something or it would make me feel uncomfortable, but that stupid annoying pocket of paranoia in the back of my head was telling me it was because I was dirty.

"You just lost someone that you love," she said softly.

"You talking about Trunks? Or Cell?" That was the first time I'd said his name out loud since I came back.

"I'm talking about Trunks. But losing Cell is going to affect you too."

"Why should it? After everything that he did to me!" I wasn't meaning to raise my voice. It didn't seem to phase her though.

"You had a child with him. He was a huge part of your life, maybe not in a positive way, but of course you're going to feel sad, even after what he did to you."

"I don't feel sad... I feel weird." I couldn't explain it, it was like something was missing.

"Weird how?"

"Just... empty."

I don't know why I was opening up to her so easily. Then I realised when I finally looked her in the face. Those were Trunks' eyes staring back at me.

"Why isn't Trunks here?" I wept pathetically. I started to cry, and that was when she finally held me, letting me start grieving for _both_ of them.

* * *

It took me a good couple of hours to snap out of that one. Bulma made me drink three glasses of water before she left me, but also making me promise to see Nita tonight.

I knocked on the door to my parents' room carefully. I wasn't sure whether I was going to regret this or not.

"Gohan... " My mom didn't look overly happy to see me.

"Is Nita here?" I asked quickly. Maybe I should just apologise to her, but I didn't have it in me right now.

"Yes, she's right here."

Mom opened the door wider and invited me in, both of us awkwardly avoiding eye contact with each other. I wish I hadn't told her all of that stuff now... why couldn't I just have left the past where it was?

There she was in the crib by the bed, squirming away, babbling to herself. I felt myself finally smile, realising that the last time I saw her, I was preparing myself for the possibility that I'd never see her again. I hurried over, leaning over the crib, slipping my finger into her little hand.

"Well, while you're here I'm going to take a shower. If that's okay with you?"

I totally forgot my mother was there for a second.

"Sure," I answered. "Where's dad?"

"He's training with Vegeta."

Fucking typical of him. And Vegeta really.

I barely heard her leave the room, too busy looking at Nita to notice. It hadn't even been that long since I last saw her but she looked different, like... bigger. She seemed to be growing into her features a little more. I could feel my heart melting again, but then I noticed that she was looking everywhere but at me.

"Hey, Nita," I said as cheerfully as I could muster.

Her eyes stopped darting around and fixed themselves on me. I managed to smile, but then she burst into tears. Great...

"Hey, what's wrong?"

I picked up up, holding her close to my chest and rubbing her back. Something didn't feel right, it didn't feel natural to me. She cried louder, it was as if she could sense my distress. I tried hushing her, realising that my mind had gone completely blank... what did she want? Was she hungry? Tired? Did she need changing? It definitely wasn't the latter from what I could tell, and there was a recently used empty bottle at the side of the bed.

I wish she could just tell me what was bothering her so much. I felt her forehead, she wasn't sick either. Maybe she knew about Trunks and she was missing him. The more I tried to soothe her, the more inconsolable she became, and the more I panicked. I needed help, but I didn't want it. She's _my_ baby! It's my problem.

"Please stop crying... please!"

I tried putting her on the bed so that she had more freedom. That only made her cry louder. She seemed grateful for the space, but she still craved the contact as well. I didn't know what to do. Maybe let her cry it out? That only lasted five minutes before I began pacing around the room. What if she hurts herself if she keeps crying? What the _fuck_ am I meant to do about it if nothing works?!

I put my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut, but even that didn't drown her out.

"What is it?!" It was pointless asking, but I could feel an anxiety attack was pretty imminent. "What do you want?!" I started pulling at my hair, I could feel tears stinging my eyes. "Shut up! SHUT UP!"

"Gohan!" My dad came bursting in at the worst possible moment. "What are you doing?! She's just a baby!"

Nothing came out of my mouth, I didn't have any reason to defend what I did. I just ran.

* * *

I didn't leave the building at any point, I just sprinted through the place, not stopping for at least ten minutes. When I finally did stop, I broke down.

I just yelled at my own baby... why the hell did I do that? What decent parent does that?! Why does it feel like I'm sinking right back down again? Months of recovery slipping through my fingers...

I could hear people coming my way around the corner. Not bothering to confront whoever it was, I slid quietly through the nearest door and locked it behind me. Then I realised where I was.

For _fuck's_ _sake..._

I was in the lab again, and I knew what was still lying behind that curtain. My feet seemed to engage before my brain, bringing me towards the curtain and slipping through. I expected to feel even worse when I saw Cell, but in fact, it made me feel better. And that only fuelled my fears that I was falling back to square one again.

"This is all your fault, you know," I said quietly. I sighed loudly, sitting on the bed with my back facing him.

"There you go again, blaming other people." I could feel him sitting up behind me, throwing his legs over to sit on the edge of the bed on my left.

"Are you saying none of this is down to you?"

"Not at all. But you need to stop this. I didn't kill myself for nothing."

"Why did you have to go and be the hero? Why do you get to have peace?"

"Because it was my time, way beyond in fact. It isn't yours yet. You can't cheat your way to peace."

"I want him back... I can't do this without Trunks. I feel like I'm trying to grieve for someone I'm not even sure is dead."

"Why don't you find out?"

"What? Just grab Nita and go?"

"Why not? There's nothing else keeping you here. Right?"

I found myself smiling, some of that actually made sense.

"Why are you so hell bent on getting me to ditch my family?"

"They might be your family, but your family don't always know what's best for you. The decision is ultimately yours alone."

"When did you become so insightful? You don't sound like yourself."

"You know that I'm not really here, right?" I heard him laugh. Then I had a burning question I needed to ask, even if he was a figment of my imagination.

"What did you mean? When you said that you didn't hate me?"

I went to finally look at him but he wasn't there. I turned around to find him still lying still right where he had been all day.

"I guess I'm never going to find out," I sighed. I threw my legs onto the bed and rested my head on his chest. I could feel my thoughts finally stop racing as I closed my eyes and drifted off.

* * *

"Gohan?"

I woke up to the sound of my own name. It was light out so I must have slept right through the night. Wait... I locked the door! I sat up quickly, remembering that I was still lying next to Cell, ready to fruitlessly defend my actions. Then I saw who it was and felt my self relax.

"How did you get in here?" I sighed with relief. Android 16 just smiled at me.

"I'm good at locks. Don't worry, nobody saw me."

"Where have you been, anyway?" I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "We could have used you in the fight."

"It seems you got on fine without me," he said, still with that reassuring smile. "I wasn't permitted to leave Doctor Gero, but now that he's returned to Hell I suppose I'm free."

"I feel like he's trying to tell me something... " I saw Android 16's face suddenly fall, like even he was beginning to think I was mad.

"Cell's gone, Gohan."

"I know. But I can still... "

"What?"

"I think I need to leave."

He looked away from me and then slowly nodded to himself.

"Where will you go?"

"To find Trunks." There wasn't a doubt in my mind now. I was looking forward to my future. I could see that huge brick wall beginning to crumble in front of me.

"Just do me a favour. Tell someone that you're going."

He gave me another smile and put his hand on my shoulder before he left. I don't really want to tell anybody where I'm going, but I don't want them to wonder for the rest of their lives whether I'm dead or alive; I've had to deal with that feeling myself over Trunks. I looked behind me to see Cell exactly where I left him. I smiled.

"So, I guess this is goodbye then."

I think I'm ready...

* * *

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

There's nothing less dignifying than having to beg for forgiveness, but I really had to. I had no right to shout at her the way I did. Nita seemed happy enough anyway, safe and sound in my arms and smiling away at me again. She has no idea how good it makes me feel to see her happy.

"I didn't mean to shout at you." I kissed her forehead as I headed over to my bed. Trunks' jacket was on it. And the time machine capsule was in there. And as promised, I was going to tell someone. But just one of them. I can't face everybody anymore. My dad walked in.

"You wanted to talk to me?" he said apprehensively.

"Yeah... "

"Sounds important."

"It is... "

I sat down, dad followed me. I watched as Nita began to fall asleep in my arms.

"Gohan?"

"I'm leaving." I just blurted it out, I suppose a clean break was easier that stumbling over my words. The look on his face was shock at first, but then it softened again. "I need to find Trunks." There was a painfully long silence.

"Is this what you really want?" he asked.

"More than anything," I answered. "I don't belong here. I belong with him. Me and Nita. I need to start again, away from here."

"What about your mom and your brothers."

"You know mom, she'll try to talk me into staying. I just wanted to at least tell somebody that I'm going."

"When?"

"Now."

I had a bag packed, I studied the time machine in the lab when nobody was around. It was already calibrated, I figured Trunks had it set up ready to take him back to his timeline. I stood up and put my hand in my pocket, pulling out a letter.

"Give this to mom for me?"

He took the letter from me, then pulled me into a hug.

"I love you, Gohan. We all do. Take care of yourself. And don't forget about us, okay?"

He held me for at least ten minutes, Nita squashed between us but snoring away. When he finally let go, he stroked Nita's cheek before leaving. I felt a huge weight being lifted from my shoulders. It felt like it had been there my entire life.

I'll see you soon, Trunks - you'd better not be dead...


End file.
